Hua bridges two horse cultures

Almost a year after steering his mount Don Geniro to an eighth-place finish in eventing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, China's Britain-born equestrian Alex Hua Tian still cherishes the memory.

"Looking back, it makes me shiver a little bit because I can't tell you how lucky we were. Everything that could've gone wrong didn't," said Hua, who fell off his mount in his Games debut in 2008.

"Don Geniro was the youngest horse in the competition, inexperienced. To come away with that kind of result was amazing. Especially after my disappointment at the Beijing Olympics."

Hua's singular commitment to lifting China into the global spotlight in what is considered a luxury and niche sport in the country has been inspiring.

"The most important thing to me, outside of the Olympics, is to help grow equestrianism in China," said Hua, who was born in London to a Chinese father and British mother, and returned to England with his parents at 11.

He was in Beijing last week to attend the launch ceremony of the British Horse Society's education system to China.

Since his first ride on a horse at age 4 in a western Beijing stable, the 27-year-old, who was the sole Chinese rider at the Rio Olympics, has experienced the distinct differences in equestrian cultures between Britain and China.

"The first thing we have to address is the cultural misunderstanding of the sport," said Hua.

"Equestrianism means elitism and high-end life in China ... but it is accessible. You don't have to be very rich and from a noble family. It's about spending time with your horses and teaching your children responsibility."

With new riding centers breaking ground one after another in suburban areas of major Chinese cities, it's critical to train the staff and implement standards through the BHS system to offer authentic horse-riding experience at the very grassroots level, said Hua.

"For me China is the future of equestrianism because of the growing number of affluent middle-class families, who are all looking for inspirational activities to do with their children."