There are currently about 400 CEA-registered riders, 20 professional teams and some 100 registered horse-racing organizations in China. It is estimated that many other small clubs have been set up in big cities in recent years.

First China appearance

The equestrian events in Hong Kong this summer will mark the first time Chinese riders have competed in the Olympics.

As the Olympic host, China is allotted six equestrian berths - four in jumping and one in both dressage and eventing. But Chinese riders still have to meet the minimum Olympic requirements in order to qualify.

Liu Lina, the 29-year-old dressage rider from Xinjiang, was the first Chinese rider to qualify for the Beijing Games, passing an Olympic qualifier riding her horse Piroschka in March in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain.

Eighteen-year-old eventing rider Alex Hua Tian, based in the UK, became the youngest Olympic eventer after he passed an Olympic qualifier in Poland in April.

Encouraged by these two, Li Zhenqiang from Guangdong Province, Huang Zuping from Beijing, Zhang Bin from Shanghai and Zhao Zhiwen from Jiangsu Province all booked berths in Olympic jumping in May.

Chinese athletes have competed in almost every Olympic sport besides equestrian events.

"This is a very encouraging result and beyond our expectations," the director said. "We thought it would be a great success if we had just one rider competing at the Beijing Games.

"But it is just a start. We are now aiming for the 2012 London Games."

(China Daily June 20, 2008)