Success of first Asia Horse Week lays down new hoofprint for region’s equestrian sports development
Hong Kong’s successful staging of the inaugural Asia Horse Week in February has helped the city further strengthen its position as the hub of equestrian sports in the region, professionals agree, laying a firm foundation for their further growth and development across Asia.
CEO and Founder of Asia Horse Week, Christophe Ameeuw, said the event served as “both a prime setting for the Longines Masters of Hong Kong and a networking platform for the equestrian world”, while President of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation Michael Lee described it as “a platform for participation and co-operation to maintain Hong Kong’s reputation as the equine capital of the world”.
Asia Horse Week brought together more than 60 representatives from leading equestrian federations, horse clubs and the equine industry worldwide to provide a window into the fast-developing world of Asian equestrian sports, especially with Tokyo hosting the equestrian events of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
Although the Hong Kong Jockey Club has operated public riding schools here since the 1970s, it was after the Beijing 2008 Olympics – for which Hong Kong staged the equestrian events to much international acclaim – that wider community interest in equestrian sports really took off.
Since then, more and more local people have been taking up horse riding and equestrian competition, while the city’s leading riders have won sporting glory for Hong Kong with medals in the Youth Olympics, Asian Games and National Games – thanks in no small part to the senior and junior development squads set up and funded by the Jockey Club, which have enabled the riders to receive top-class professional training at home and overseas.
Since 2013, Hong Kong has also been one of only three cities worldwide to stage a leg of the prestigious Longines Masters, a five-star international showjumping contest featuring many of the world’s leading riders. The Jockey Club was a founding partner of the Longines Masters of Hong Kong and continues to play a key role in the event each year, especially in the areas of horse transportation and veterinary care.
It was, therefore, a timely next step for the club and its partners to build on this success by establishing Asia Horse Week – a concurrent program of supporting events that included a three-day conference on regional equestrian developments, bringing together some of the world’s most established equestrian organisations and some of its newest.
Guest speakers included Hong Kong’s Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, who highlighted the city’s efforts to ensure the highest possible health standards for its equine residents and visitors. “Hong Kong has over the years maintained a robust quarantine regime for high health and high performance horses from all over the world to participate in high-level competitions here,” she emphasized.
Among visiting presenters were the British Horse Society and the French and German Equestrian Federations, with the sport’s rapid development on the Chinese mainland being a major topic of interest. Other issues covered included horsemanship, horse welfare, biosecurity, breeding and the development of elite-level sports.
Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Dr Simon S.O. Ip summed it up perfectly when he said: “I firmly believe this conference can be the start of a regular and ongoing dialogue that will benefit equestrian sport both regionally and worldwide.”