Masters of HK to offer ‘challenging courses’

The Longines Masters of Hong Kong, an international equestrian competition, will be an “eye-catching” and “heart-stopping” worldclass event, promises the local course designer.

The course was designed with local flair by Sin Tai-hong, equestrian property supervisor at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He is responsible for the Asian leg of the Masters Series along with another designer from Germany for the Feb 15 to 17 competition.

One of only three Hong Kong professionals accredited for designing international equestrian courses, Sin said the course comprises sharp turns and straightaways to test the confidence and ability of riders.

“Rushing into a straightaway after a sharp curve is extremely difficult,” Sin said. He added that the challenge is comparable to driving through a series of U-turns.

An indoor show jumping event, the Longines Masters of Hong Kong has narrow and long courses, making them true tests of a rider’s skill, Sin continued.

Sin promised that the courses are “safe” and “smooth” with various options for participants. “Riders in good form will have a chance to improve their standing. Others will find the course in keeping with their abilities,” he said.

He also said this year’s courses will continue to showcase hurdles and other obstacles with localized designs, such as dragon boats and cha siu bao, a popular Cantonese bun.

To present a world-class event of this stature poses its own challenges. Sin and the other designer worked over two months developing at least 15 courses for the threeday event. For every course, they also need to prepare different plans considering some unpredictable factors such as weather conditions.

Describing the design process as “drawing on a white paper”, Sin said there was much to consider. Besides the basic information about the grounds, Sin also had to consider riders and their horses attending the competition. “A horse can feel the emotions of the rider, which will affect its performance,” he said.

With preliminary concepts in mind, Sin drew digital maps of the courses and adjusted details from the heights of hurdles to the angles of curves. He also inspected on-site obstacles to make adjustments based on field conditions.

The layouts of jumping competitions must be held in secret until half an hour before an event. Only then are horses and riders given a chance to tour the course to plot their route.

Since Hong Kong became involved in equestrian competitions for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the sport has gained popularity in Hong Kong, Sin observed. He hopes more young people will take up the sport, and improve Hong Kong’s standing in international competitions.

This year marks the seventh year of the Masters of Hong Kong competition, which will feature the world’s top riders. In addition to the inaugural HKJC Asian Challenge, there will be other new events — HKJC Asian Junior Challenge and HKJC Asian Junior Grand Prix. The events will be held at AsiaWorld-Expo.