The eventing discipline of the Olympic equestrian events started on Saturday at the Shatin Equestrian Venue in Hong Kong, with over 70 horse and rider combinations to compete for individual and team golds.
The following are some of the well-known horse and rider combinations.
--- Mark Todd, 52, a legend from New Zealand. He was considered by his peers to be the consummate eventing horseman and voted Rider of the 20th Century by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). He was two times winner of the Olympic individual eventing gold, respectively in 1984 and 1988, and two times winner of World Championships team eventing gold, respectively in 1990 and 1998.
He also took individual eventing gold at the 1997 Mannheim European Championships and the individual eventing bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
It would be the sixth time for Todd to compete in the Olympics,and he did not try to qualify against all odds for the Games until last December.
--- Clayton Fredericks, and Lucinda Fredericks, an Australian couple who were both 41 years old. They were both on the Australia team for eventing. Clayton ranked No. 20 on the latest FEI individual eventing rankings and Lucinda was No. 77.
The husband and wife also trained Hua Tian, an 18-year-old promising equestrian talent who will be riding for China at the Beijing Olympics.
--- Hua Tian, born on Oct. 25, 1989 to English mother Sarah Noble and Chinese father Hua Shan. He went to Eton College in 2004.The 18-year-old talent is the first Chinese event rider at the Olympics and one of the youngest riders at the Games.
Hua is one of the most promising young riders and became registered with the International Equestrian Federation at the unprecedented age of 14 and was also the youngest rider ever to have gone through the four-star level.
A handsome lad, Hua has become known as "one in a billion" and the Liu Xiang of the equestrian sport. He had let go of his British passport to ride for China.
Thanks to a 30 million yuan (3.85 million U.S. dollars) sponsorship from a Chinese businessman, Hua has backing from top professionals, including four seasoned grooms, one physiotherapist,one physical trainer and one veterinarian. Australian husband and wife riders Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks have coached him for several years.
Hua was No. 21 on the lastest FEI world event rider rankings.
--- Nicholas Touzaint, 28, and his horse Galan de Sauvagere will be leading defending champion France. Touzaint was the lastest FEI world event rider ranking No. 2 and winner of two European championships since 2003. The horse and rider is obviously in good shape after taking individual eventing gold at Badminton in May.
--- William Fox-Pitt, 39, and his horse Parkmore Ed will be riding for the United Kingdom. A world-class horseman, Fox-Pitt was a member of the multi-award-winning British eventing team. He began riding at four and started evening at 15. His parents and siblings have also been successful riders. He represented the United Kingdom at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was on the silver medal squad for team eventing at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Fox-Pitt was No. 1 in the latest FEI world event rider rankings.
--- Mary King was born in 1961 and was currently world's No. 3 in latest FEI event rider rankings. She grew up in a family that was not involved with horses and worked in a butcher's shop, as a gardener, and as a cook to help fund her riding career.
King has won four team golds at the World Equestrian Games and the European Championships and was four times British Champion. King has also represented Britain in four Olympic Games since 1992.She is taking her top horse Call Again Cavalier to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with Imperial Cavalier as her reserve.
--- Philip Dutton, born in September 1963, currently world No. 4. At Atlanta and Sydney he was a member of Australia's Gold Medal team eventing squad. He represented Australia in three Olympics and four World Equestrian Games. But he will be riding with his horse Connaught for the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
--- Karen O'Connor, born in February 1958, FEI world event rider ranking No. 14. Her husband was a horseman. She was on the team eventing silver squad at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a member of the team eventing bronze squad at the Sidney Games. O' Connor lost her pony Teddy in May and will be riding 9-year-old gelding Mandiba.
--- Andrew Nicholson, born in August 1961 and one of the best event riders. FEI eventing rider ranking No. 6. He was selected for his sixth Olympics.
--- Megan Jones, born in November 1976, Australian. FEI event rider ranking No. 8. She began riding at the age of 5 and hit the international scene in 2003. She was on the bronze-winning Australian event team at the 2006 World Equestrian Games.
--- Frank Ostholt, born in 1975, German. Ostholt was No. 10 on the latest FEI event rider rankings and the leader of the German team eventing squad. He helped Germany win a team eventing gold medal at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games and finished 4th in the individual eventing competition. He also attended the Athens Games.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2008)