The Hong Kong Jockey Club Cup Guangzhou Final, finale of the LONGINES China Tour kicked off today (5 January) at the Guangdong Huangcun Sports Training Centre. The annual equestrian event takes place over two days with 10 overseas riders, 105 Mainland riders, 3 Hong Kong, China riders and 1 Chinese Taipei rider taking part in the competitions.

Hong Kong, China rider Kenneth Cheng who is a member of the HKJC Equestrian Team won the championship of “The HKJC Champions Welcome”, while Belgian rider Jeroen De Winter and Italian rider Jerry Smit won the first and second runner up respectively.

“I would like to congratulate the winners of the competition including champion Kenneth Cheng from the HKJC Equestrian Team and riders from Belgium and Italy for their outstanding performance. Their achievements are truly a reflection of their extraordinary skills and sportsmanship,” said Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow.

“In the past year, we have seen some excellent results by riders from the Mainland and Hong Kong in international competitions such as the 2018 Asian Games equestrian events. It was exciting to see them match their skills against elite riders from other countries during the Guangzhou Final,” Dr Chow added.

“With the Club’s sponsorship, I have been able to receive top-level training, which undoubtedly helped me in today’s competition,” said champion Kenneth Cheng. “This kind of competition experience is very important in enhancing my riding skills. I also enjoyed competing in this fantastic arena at the Guangdong Huangcun Sports Training Centre.”
        
The LONGINES China Tour is organised by the Chinese Equestrian Association. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Cup Guangzhou Final, sponsored by the Club for the fifth consecutive year, is a 3-star jumping competition accredited by the Fédération Equestre Internationale, with competitions being held at different levels.

The Club is a long-standing supporter of equine sport in the Chinese Mainland. Since 1984, the Club has donated more than 1,000 retired racehorses to sports teams in different provinces and cities. The Club was honoured as “Outstanding Contributor” for constructing the equestrian venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games. The site of the latter has been redeveloped into Conghua Racecourse – the first world-class thoroughbred training centre in the Mainland - which officially opened in August 2018. As in previous years, the Club sponsored an equestrian team of eight Hong Kong riders to compete in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where Jacqueline Siu won a Gold medal in the dressage individual competition - Hong Kong’s first-ever individual equestrian medal at the Asian Games.

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 charity 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 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 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.