Para athlete Tse Pui-ting, Natasha, a member of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Para Equestrian Squad, has been chosen to represent Hong Kong, China at the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. This will be her fourth consecutive Paralympic Games. Her selection for the individual para dressage event was confirmed by the China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China (EFHKC).

Competing on board Baxo, Tse achieved Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) scores to qualify for the Paris Paralympics in individual para dressage. Previously, Tse qualified for London 2012 at the age of 15, the youngest para-equestrian at that Games. She has since represented Hong Kong, China at the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Tse first started riding at the age of four for therapeutic reasons, developing a passion for the sport that drove her to compete as a para rider. Splitting her time between Hong Kong and the UK, she trains at The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Tuen Mun Public Riding School, Beas River Equestrian Centre and Wellington Riding in England.

On the honour of representing Hong Kong, China at a fourth Paralympics, she said: “Participating in the Paralympics was always my dream as an equestrian athlete. I am so happy to have another chance to compete alongside the top riders in the world. It will be a great learning opportunity for me. I have started preparing for the Games, and I hope that Baxo and I will put in a good performance and enjoy the Games. I am especially grateful for the nurture and support I received from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Equestrian Federation and the Riding for the Disabled Association.”

Michael Lee, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and President of the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China said: “My heartfelt congratulations to Natasha for qualifying to represent Hong Kong, China once again at the Paralympics in Paris. It’s an incredible achievement and a testament to her unwavering dedication and hard work, as well as to the support she has received from her family, coaches and the Jockey Club. I wish her the very best of luck at the Games, and I will be following her progress with interest. I sincerely hope her efforts will help raise awareness of para equestrian sport among the public.”

In addition, Fleur Schrader from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Para Equestrian Squad has been selected as a reserve for the Games. She continues to train and prepare in the event that a substitution needs to take place, which is allowed if an athlete or horse becomes sick or injured.

Under the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan (HKEPP), a specialist team of coaches, grooms, veterinarians, farriers, physiotherapists and other professional staff help riders and horses prepare for the Paralympics and will be in Paris to provide assistance.

Among the support team will be Annie Ho, a double bronze medalist from the team dressage event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou last year and team eventing at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The Jockey Club-supported rider will offer assistance in caring for and training the horse during the Games in Paris.

The Jockey Club is a long-standing supporter of equestrian sport through its public riding schools and the HKJC Equestrian Team, established after the Beijing 2008 Olympics to develop elite riders in Hong Kong and help them achieve their potential. Equestrian and para-equestrian riders benefit from high-level coaching and professional support under the HKEPP, which was launched by the Club in 2016 in collaboration with EFHKC. The HKJC Youth Equestrian Development Programme was initiated as a junior programme in 2019 in collaboration with EFHKC and the Hong Kong Sports Institute to develop a pipeline of future talent. In 2022, the Club expanded this programme with the addition of a Youth Squad (Mainland), which supports young talented Hong Kong athletes who are based full time in the Mainland.