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Longines Masters visitors given first-hand look at horses’ importance to Hong Kong

02/07/2018

With many of the world’s top equestrian riders and industry leaders in town to participate in the 2018 Longines Masters of Hong Kong and the inaugural Asia Horse Week, The Hong Kong Jockey Club tonight (7 February) took the opportunity to show them the passion that local people share for equine sport – and the benefits it ultimately brings to society – by entertaining them to a welcome dinner and race night at Happy Valley Racecourse.

Established in 2013 with the Club as a Founding Partner, the Longines Masters of Hong Kong will take place this Friday to Sunday (9 to 11 February) at AsiaWorld-Expo. A top-level, five-star equestrian competition, it serves as the second leg of the 2017/18 Grand Slam Indoor of Show Jumping, and highlights will include the Longines Grand Prix, the HKJC Trophy, the HKJC Race of the Riders, HKJC Junior Challenge and HKJC Junior Trophy for up-and-coming local riders. Meanwhile, the first Asia Horse Week conference, starting tomorrow, is bringing together representatives from leading equestrian federations, regional horse clubs and the equine industry.

With The Hong Kong Jockey Club as Founding Partner, Asia Horse Week offers leading equestrian federations, regional horse clubs and the equine industry the opportunity to exchange views with counterparts from around the world and discuss strategies for further developing the sport in Asia.

For two of the visiting equestrian riders, Simon Delestre and Reed Kessler, as well as local HKJC Equestrian Team riders Jacqueline Lai and Clarissa Lyra, tonight’s race meeting also provided a chance to meet with the four Hong Kong-based jockeys they will be partnering in the unique HKJC Race of the Riders on Friday: Neil Callan, Joao Moreira, Derek Leung and Vincent Ho, respectively.

From its roots as a horse racing and riding club established in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has played a major role in the city’s equestrian sports development over the years. Its public riding schools, which opened in the 1970s, now attract some 60,000 local visitors of all ages each year to learn riding skills and horse care. Equestrian sports gained in popularity following the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, held in Hong Kong with the Club’s support. The HKJC Equestrian Team and HKJC Junior Equestrian Training Squad were established by the Club in the same year with the aim of developing the potential of Hong Kong’s most talented riders. Several of its members have since won medals in international competitions. The Club also launched the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan in 2016. This merit-based programme is designed to nurture Hong Kong’s high-performing riders as they strive for equestrian excellence on the world stage. 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2016/17, the Club’s total direct return to the community was HK$30.5 billion. It is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer, one of the city’s major employers and one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong. 


Picture 1:
Equestrian riders taking part in the HKJC Race of the Riders visit Happy Valley Racecourse tonight (7 February) to meet their partner jockeys. The four equestrian riders – Simon Delestre (3rd left), Reed Kessler (1st left), Jacqueline Lai (2nd left) and Clarissa Lyra (4th left) – are pictured with their respective partner jockeys Neil Callan (4th right), Joao Moreira (2nd right), Derek Leung (1st right) and Vincent Ho (3rd right). Joining them are Club Chairman Dr Simon S O Ip (6th right), Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (5th right), Chief Executive Officer of EEM Christophe Ameeuw (6th left) and Hong Kong Equestrian Federation President Michael Lee (5th left).


Picture 2:
Club Chairman Dr Simon Ip (front row, 7th right), Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 6th right) and Club Executive Director, Corporate Planning, Communications and Membership Scarlette Leung (front row, 3rd right) welcome Asia Horse Week delegates at the Parade Ring.