2008: Hong Kong or...Aachen!

[JER]

The dangers of armchair travel…

Horse culture is NOT frowned upon in modern Beijing. Quite the opposite – horse activities are growing in popularity, with riding clubs popping up on the outskirts of the city. Some of these facilities are very nice and riding is considered a very au courant activity.

Despite its well-known high-rise skyline, Hong Kong has a surprising amount of outdoor space in the New Territories on its northern mainland side. HK also has a number of private and public riding clubs (the Jockey Club supports 4 BHS-approved facilities) and a Pony Club chapter.

It’s a lot easier to get to HK than Europe from Australia and New Zealand. There’s no real significant difference if you’re coming from Los Angeles.

The climate is not particularly horse-friendly in HK but the same could be said about Athens, Atlanta and Barcelona. Pollution is a serious issue but the government claims to be serious about cleaning up.

(HK also has the excellent Peninsula Hotel, one of my very favorite places to stay in the world.)

[mmt]

I can second the comment about Hong Kong. Although it does have heat and humidity, so did Kuala Lumpur and the horses survived it there!

There is more green space in Hong Kong than people think, many fabulous hotels and shopping, good metro system, and they have been handling horse events there for VERY high priced horses for a long time.

If it is in Hong Kong, it may not suit everyone, but they could pull it off with a bit of customization – at least for the dressage and jumpers since I do not have a visual of how the eventing cross country or endurance parts would be handled.

As for Beijing, there are fairly nice stables that are popping up. However, I think it is beyond their ability to create a disease-free zone. There is much more of a “rural” influence near and in parts of the city, pig farms, feral dogs, etc. in and around Beijing that would make it more difficult. I noticed quite a difference in that regard with Beijing versus Shanghai, Shenzhen or Hong Kong.

[JER]

I think the plan is to hold the XC at the Beas River Country Club, which is a HKJC-owned private club (golf/tennis/riding) not far from the Sha Tin track in the new territories. Sha Tin has nice grass gallops and stabling; I assume the horse events will run somewhat like at the LA Olympics (Santa Anita and an SD-area golf course for XC), although there won’t be as much driving involved.

Beas River has good permanent stabling and Sha Tin is a well-kept facility as well. The HKJC is a high-profile organization and they get people out to the races in HK.

As for endurance, HK does have good-sized parks in the New Territories and on some of the other islands. If all else fails, I suppose you could ride the MacLehose Trail but I think it’s only 100km!

I think Beijing is being smart and honest about the prospects for the horse events. From a health standpoint, it just doesn’t make sense.

[Charlotte]

What I’ve heard so far is that they are building new stables at Beas River Country Club for the horses, as well as at Sha Tin. The eventing will be at Beas River and the adjacent Fanling Golf Course. I have seen some of what they’ve started, and it looks to be very nice. The footing will all be high-quality all-weather footing, I believe done by Otto Sport, which has done the footing at many top venues in Europe, and was also in charge of the footing at the 2006 World Cup Final in Kuala Lumpur.

Creating a disease-free zone in Hong Kong is not a problem. Because of the racing industry, Hong Kong has stringent quarantine rules, which helps to keep things “clean.” For example, my horses can fly from Malaysia to Europe with no quarantine on either end of the journey. However, if my horses fly from Malaysia to Hong Kong, they must do two weeks of quarantine.

I have not yet seen any plans for Endurance (is it even included as an Olympic sport?), but Hong Kong has much larger parks and more rural area than most major cities.

As for the weather, the schedule is being designed with extra days built in for all disciplines should there be inclement weather preventing the competitions from taking place as scheduled. Actually, one should hope for a typhoon, because they are almost always preceded by three days of beautiful weather, and the weather afterwards is generally quite good as well. Unless you are riding in the middle of the day, the weather is really not all that bad, and I find the weather in Hong Kong to be much more suited to riding than the weather in Athens, which I thought was desperately hot.

One of the nice things about Hong Kong is the size of it. Nothing is more than 40 minutes apart, and the traffic is pretty predictable, and you are never at a standstill for too long. The Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club are working to educate the public about equestrian sports in order to promote interest in the events being held, but since a major event like the Olympics has never been held in Hong Kong, and is not likely to be held there again anytime soon for various reasons, I think the turnout and public interest should be more than sufficient.

[cmannphoto]

Here is a press release I received today

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Ng
Press Officer
212-752-3320

Equestrian Events Arrangement Document Signed

New York (August 31, 2006) – The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSARG) today in Beijing signed a document on the overall arrangements for the equestrian events for the 29th Olympic Games and the 13th Paralympic Games.
BOCOG Executive Vice-President Mr. Liu Jingmin and Secretary for Home Affairs and Executive Vice-President of the Equestrian Committee (Hong Kong) of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Dr. Patrick Ho, signed the document on behalf of BOCOG and HKSARG respectively.
BOCOG President, Mr. Liu Qi, who is also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee; First Vice-President, Ms. Chen Zhili, who is also a State Councillor; and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr. Tung Chee Hwa, witnessed the signing ceremony.
When BOCOG signed the Host City Contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Moscow in July 2001, it had not been decided that the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events would be relocated to Hong Kong.
There was a need for a document that outlined the arrangements for the equestrian events between BOCOG and HKSARG after the relocation decision was made. The arrangements include the provision of an internationally recognized equine quarantine protocol, a safe and well-ordered society, a system that facilitates smooth entry to and departure out of Hong Kong, all aiming at ensuring a smooth equestrian events taking place.
Dr. Ho said, “We have decided to sign the document after a year’s communication where we both now have good understanding of what is needed in the HKSAR for the events.”
The document outlines the arrangements made by the government of a host city to the organizing committee of the Olympic Games. Among them, many are government functions such as support on security, immigration, and transport arrangements.
“In short, the document sets the basis for mutual collaboration and the signing ceremony today signifies that the co-operation of Hong Kong as one of the co-host cities is in full operation,” added Dr. Ho.
BOCOG signed similar documents on May 25, 2004, with the Qingdao Municipal Government and the Sailing Committee (Qingdao) of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and on July 19, 2005, with the cities of Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao, which will stage the football qualifying matches for 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Charlie Mann
www.cmannphoto.com/2006weg.htm

[Coreene]

Well, that sucks. I hate humid weather. I don’t mind HK in, say, January, but it’s just too warm and fuzzy during summer Olympic time.

[2Dogs]

Well darn - if only I had the money:
stay at the Penninsula, shop for fake watches, get a few cool jackets made in two days and see horses show -

sniff

[Coreene]

So now that this fleetingly hoped for trip to Aachen isn’t happening in 2008, we should go somewhere else. Outdoor Gelderland, perhaps?

[Sabine]

OkeyDokey- I have aggravated this thread to no end…but what about capacity…anyone done the numbers lately on Hong Kong…do we have to stay in tents- or those chinese ships…? Can they really accomodate an Olympic crowd? I am impressed by the first class accomodations they will offer to the dressage and jumper folks- where does eventing go? and How in the world can the city handle the expected crowds?

go on- shred away some more- it’s always quite informative…LOL!

[cmannphoto]

Some of your questions might be answered at this link

http://en.beijing2008.com/21/65/column212006521.shtml

Charlie Mann
www.cmannphoto.com/2006weg.htm

[His_Greyness]

I am somewhat depressed over the US-centric and Euro-centric tone to some of the replies to this thread. At least the European replies show that the US has no monopoly on chauvinism. You don’t seem to know how much you don’t know and a little Google research can correct that situation.

While the climate in Hong Kong is a legitimate concern, but no more so than for Atlanta. This article describes the hotel situation in the former British colony. The now Special Administrative Region (SAR) has a highly developed public transport system.

Here’s where to start your research on the Hong Kong Jockey Club who get an average of 24,000 spectators at each of 78 days of racing they hold at two racetracks. The Olympic Equestrian Stadium will be at one of these racetracks (Sha Tin).

The website of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation gives an indication of other equestrian activity both in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

You will find your computer asking to install the Chinese character set when you access these sites. You do not need to do so to access them.

[adamsmom]

What amazes me are the complaints about the anticipated heat & humidity in Hong Kong.
Let’s see…Barcelona, Atlanta, Athens…none seem to be particularly cool, dry places to me. :winkgrin: