Equestrian feast to tour China, grow the sport

Chinese show jumpers will get a bigger chance to qualify for world shows. For the first time, the China league competitions will be scattered into different cities to allure more promising athletes.

After the Tianjin and Chengdu legs in late April and May, the Beijing finals will produce a winner of the 2018 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup China League, who will represent China to compete at the 2018-2019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup year-end finals, the event organizer announced Tuesday in a news conference in Beijing.

The 2018 China league will be open to riders of different ages and levels, with juniors and future stars' competitions. China's equestrian hopefuls will rub shoulders with the world's reigning riders including Britain's Laura Renwick.

Launched in 2011, the event is the first FEI series introduced to China and the most prestigious one, providing the only route for riders from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to qualify for the World Cup year-end finals.

Zhang Xiaoning, chairman of the Chinese Equestrian Association (CEA), said in his message to the conference that the China league would provide a great opportunity to internationalize China's equestrian industry and urged standardized and sound growth.

Cao Jing, representative of the event's organizing committee, said the three host cities would bridge the horsemanship culture of different parts of China and connect China to the world of equestrian sports.

The Tianjin leg will land at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club, the venue of the 13th National Games equestrianism competitions last year.

In Chengdu, an equestrianism industry world expo will coincide with the competition, marking the first of its kind in China.

The Beijing finals will take place in October during the National Day holiday at Beijing's urban Chaoyang Park, the beach volleyball venue of the 2008 Olympics.