EU agreement paves way to boost equestrian sports in China

When Steven Whitaker, a renowned rider from the United Kingdom, brought his two sons to compete in the FEI World Cup Jumping Show in Beijing last May, he could race only on an unfamiliar local horse due to quarantine obstacles.

Thanks to a recent decision by the European Commission, riders like the Whitakers will now be able to bring their own horses to China for competitions.

Citing improved quarantine conditions in China, the European Commission approved an agreement on Friday to allow its horses to race in the Global Champions Tour's Shanghai leg in June and return to Europe afterward.

However, the decision only applies to the Shanghai race, as local organizers' preparations for quarantine facilities and sanitary conditions met European Union requirements, Jerome Lepeintre, first counselor of health and consumers of the Delegation of the European Union, said at the launch of the Champions Jockey Club on Tuesday.

"It's really a major breakthrough that such a quarantine was accepted by the EU without construction of special facilities," he said. "The decision will pave the way for many international events and will contribute to the development of equestrian sport in China."

China hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics' equestrian event in Hong Kong, which applies the same quarantine standards as the EU.

For the 2010 Asian Games, Guangzhou spent 2 billion yuan ($330 million) to build a sanitary zone for isolating foreign horses that met EU standards in Conghua, a rural farming community east of Guangzhou.

The green light for the Shanghai event means a permanent agreement between China and the EU on quarantine standards could be achieved soon, Lepeintre said.

"What we expect also in the future is to simplify the condition of imports of live horses from Europe to China," Lepeintre said. "We are in discussions with the Chinese government to resolve the issue once for all. We really hope to conclude it by the beginning of next year, at the latest."

Equestrian insiders who participated in the Sino-European sports cooperation launching ceremony on Tuesday said an agreement would boost exchanges between China and world equestrian powers.

"That's the key to opening equestrian sports in China," said Steward Hosford, chairman of Britain's 121 Group, which jointly established the Champions Jockey Club with Chinese partners.

The 121 Group will select top European equestrian academies in England and France to roll out overseas training programs for China and will be responsible for defining training courses and setting up operational structures for local Chinese clubs.

Jiangxi province's Tailitongshun Jockey Club, one of Chinese partners, will commit to send at least 1,000 Chinese students per year to study overseas under the umbrella of the 121 Group, which will provide employment opportunities in Europe's equestrian industry for top Chinese students.

"As equestrian sports develop in China, there needs to be more international expertise shared. There is very small margin on the elite level, which makes the difference between success and failure very small. That's what we are going to bring," Hosford said.

Since China made its equestrian debut at the 2008 Olympics, the sport has been riding high. More and more well-off families are encouraging their children to join high-end equestrian clubs, which have high membership fees, while celebrities are promoting themselves by appearing at premier events.

"Equestrian sports used to be labeled as a luxury event in China and sometimes was connected to negatives like gambling. The introduction of a modern approach from the West will help the Chinese people rediscover the sport's beauty," said Hu Dehua, honorary chairman of the Champions Jockey Club.

Guo Xia, a sports industry economist, said introducing more equestrian programs will create jobs while helping modernize agriculture in China.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn