A thoroughbred horse donated to the Chinese Equestrian Association by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for possible involvement in the 2008 Olympics was killed on Sunday afternoon when it ran into an oncoming car in a Beijing suburb.

Witnesses said that, startled by a dog that ran into its quarantine isolation zone, it escaped and bolted several kilometers before running onto Baige Road in Changping District, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

Trainers followed the horse but were unable to recapture it in time. Two people in the car were injured and taken to a nearby hospital, police said. The case is still under investigation.

The horse was one of 51 that arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on March 17. Twenty-four were to be trained for use in the Games' modern pentathlon riding event, and the rest given to the Tibetan Equestrian Team and Dalian police

Named Brilliant Palace, it was a five-year-old female from a distinguished bloodline - its mother was Shangainaise from Australia and its father was Desert King from Ireland.

An official surnamed Cheng from the Beijing Turf & Equestrian Association said rules should be established for the better management of horses in sport.

"There are no standards for the raising and management of sports horses, let alone security rules," Cheng said.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club presents racing horses to the Chinese Equestrian Association every year, though this had been the largest donation so far.

(China Daily April 6, 2005)