The Hong Kong Jockey Club Equestrian Team member Patrick Lam won a silver medal in individual eventing for Hong Kong at the inaugural FEI Asian Championships Pattaya 2019 today (5 Dec) while the team comprising Patrick Lam, Annie Ho, Thomas Ho and Yu-xuan Su also won a silver medal in team eventing at the competition.  

The eventing competition, consisting of dressage, cross-country and jumping phases, for the FEI Asian Championships commenced Tuesday, 3 December. Competing against eight other riders, HKJC Equestrian Team member Patrick Lam partnering with Jockey Club Weronique rode superbly, earning second place with 32 penalties after the second day of the competition. Lam claimed the silver medal with 40 penalties after the 3-day competition. The gold medal went to Arinadtha Chavatanont of Thailand with 31.8 penalties. The HKJC Equestrian Team claimed the silver medal in team eventing with 178.9 penalties in total.

The achievement is extra special for Patrick Lam, who previously won an Asian Games team bronze medal in a different discipline, show jumping, at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games. “I am honoured to win my first medal at the Asian Championships, and owe a lot to the partnership with Jockey Club Weronique, a top-class horse owned by the Club. A big thank you to The Hong Kong Jockey Club for its support, and especially to the professional support team, who worked closely with us, both in the preparation for and during this event,” said Lam.

Annie Ho and Thomas Ho, both team eventing bronze medallists at the Asian Games 2014, were thrilled with their medals in this Championship, the second largest equestrian event in Asia after the Asian Games. Yu-xuan Su was an individual bronze medallist at the FEI Asia Eventing Championship 2017. He was happy to win another medal at the same venue.

Hong Kong is fielding a squad of seven riders who are contesting in two equestrian disciplines, eventing and jumping, at the inaugural FEI Asian Championships. The squad is supported by a strong team of professionals under the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan led by Team Manager Amanda Bond, who is also the Club’s Executive Manager, Equestrian Affairs. The group comprises performance managers, coaches, grooms, veterinarians, farriers and physiotherapists for both riders and horses.

The first edition of the FEI Asian Championships is being held from 1-8 December 2019 at the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya, Thailand. It is the second largest equestrian event in Asia following the Asian Games with riders and horses from 13 nations participating. As with the Asian Games, this is one of only two Asian events that boast the staging of all three Olympic disciplines, namely dressage, jumping and eventing.

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 80,000 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 a junior team 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 (HKEPP) 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. In 2019, it was expanded to include the HKJC Equestrian Youth Development Programme in collaboration with Hong Kong Equestrian Federation and HKSI for the development of equestrian talent from the age of 10. HKEPP currently supports a total of 43 riders in all three Olympic disciplines and para-equestrian.

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 2018/19, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$23.3 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.3 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity and community donations were HK$4.3 billion. The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also 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.