Hong Kong, China to send its largest ever equestrian team to the 19th Asian Games with Jockey Club support
20/07/2023
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is pleased to announce today (20 July) that nine athletes (11 rider-horse combinations) supported by the Club will represent Hong Kong, China at the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou from September to October this year. This is the largest equestrian squad Hong Kong, China has ever sent to the games. All of the athletes are members of the HKJC Equestrian Team and have benefited from high-level coaching and professional support provided by the Club under the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan.
The equestrian events of the 19th Asian Games will be held at the Tonglu Equestrian Centre in Hangzhou from 26 September to 6 October. A team of nine athletes will represent Hong Kong, China in dressage, eventing and show jumping competitions. This is the first time the team will be competing in both the individual and team competitions in all three disciplines. Six competition horses for the team are also being provided by the Club.
Club Chairman and President of the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China, Michael Lee congratulated the riders. “Hong Kong equestrian sport has come a long way in a very short space of time and this owes a great deal to the hard work of riders as well as to the support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. My sincere congratulations to the entire team.”
“The 19th Asian Games will be a wonderful showcase for Hangzhou and for Hong Kong’s riding talent. The Club is delighted to provide its professional support for the organisation of the equestrian events and to support Hong Kong, China equestrian team. I look forward to an outstanding games and to great performances from Team Hong Kong, China,” said Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
Team Hong Kong, China and competition details
Rider |
Competing horses |
Competition date |
---|---|---|
Dressage |
||
Samantha Chan |
DSP Fierro |
26 Sept*, |
Annie Ho |
Southern Cross Braemar |
|
Jacqueline Siu |
Jockey Club Huittharien # |
|
Eventing |
||
Annie Ho |
Jockey Club Miss Matana # |
30 Sept, |
Patrick Lam |
Jockey Club Highdown March # |
|
Daniella Lin |
A Sparkling Bellini |
|
Su Yu-Xuan |
Spypark Ferro XS |
|
(Reserve) |
Hanerina Ssf |
|
Show Jumping |
||
Jacqueline Lai |
I’m Special # |
4 Oct*, |
Patrick Lam |
Claron CR # |
|
Clarissa Lyra |
Guardiola – N # |
|
Melinda Ma |
Carblue |
*Medal Day
#HKJC sponsored horse
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Equestrian Performance Manager, Corinne Bracken will be the Chef d’Equipe of the Hong Kong, China team at the 19th Asian Games. To support athletes and horses, the Club is sending a specialist support team to Hangzhou including coaches, grooms, veterinarians, farriers and physiotherapists for both athletes and horses.
In addition, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Club and the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Organising Committee, the Club will provide technical support for the equestrian events in six functional areas, namely biosecurity, horse transportation, stable management, veterinary and farriery services, venue operations and international stakeholder management.
Members of the HKJC Equestrian team have represented Hong Kong, China at past Asian Games, winning back-to-back medals since 2010. They include Jacqueline Siu, who won Hong Kong’s first ever equestrian gold medal in Individual Dressage in Jakarta in 2018; Annie Ho, Thomas Ho and Nicole Pearson, who won a Team Eventing Bronze medal in Incheon in 2014; and Patrick Lam, Jacqueline Lai, Kenneth Cheng and Samantha Lam, who won a Team Jumping Bronze medal in Guangzhou in 2010.
The Club is a long-standing supporter of equestrian sport, both through its public riding schools and through the HKJC Equestrian Team and Junior Equestrian Training Squad (JETS), established following the Beijing 2008 Olympics to develop the potential of Hong Kong, China’s elite riders. Under the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan launched in 2016, equestrian and para equestrian riders benefit from high-level coaching and professional support services. Support for youth athletes is provided through the HKJC Youth Equestrian Development Programme (previously JETS), run in collaboration with the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China and the Hong Kong Sports Institute. In 2022, the Club expanded this programme with the addition of a Mainland squad, which supports young talented Hong Kong athletes who are based full time in the Mainland.