2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

//www.chinadailyhk.com/public_resource/public/css/style.css {"dm":"https://www.chinadailyhk.com","httpDomain":"https://www.chinadailyhk.com","hr":"/","httpRoot":"/","smr":"/cndy_asia/WEB/","subMediaRoot":"/cndy_asia/WEB/","trr":"/public_resource/templates/","templatesResRoot":"/public_resource/templates/","srr":"/public_resource/subjects/","subjectsResRoot":"/public_resource/subjects/","pr":"//www.chinadailyhk.com/public_resource/public","publicRoot":"//www.chinadailyhk.com/public_resource/public","subMediaLocalPath":"/data/files/mcpp/publish/cndy_asia/WEB/","other":{"baidu_map_apikey":"T0IxOVsyHiwtTfZRxdyzNH5C","txyun_apikey":"1252065688"}}
Focus> Life & Art> Content
Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 11:05
Getting them into the saddle
By Li Yingxue
Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 11:05 By Li Yingxue

An increasing number of Chinese parents are now introducing their children to an equestrian lifestyle, Li Yingxue reports.

A child does show-jumping with his horse in a recent event at a youngsters' horse riding training center located in Chaoyang Park, Beijing. (LI HONGBIN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Three-year-old Cheng Zexuan dressed like a clown and sitting on a pony parades together with seven other kids in the center of the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest.

It is a pony cosplay held during the interval of the Equestrian Beijing Masters - eight kids aged from 3 to 7, dressed as different cartoon characters, ride ponies on the field.

Zexuan learned to ride when he was 28 months old, and this year he got his own horse named Lulu.

According to Cheng Zhi, Zexuan's father, he now has three riding lessons a week, with each class lasting two hours.

"He has learned how to clean a horse and can jump over easy barriers," says Cheng.

"When I was young, I sometimes rode on the grasslands, but never learned to ride professionally, so I hope he can learn a new skill, and riding becomes a hobby for him in the future."

The 8th Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters was held at the Bird's Nest from Oct 12 to 14, attracting a record-breaking 251 competitors.

It's a show-jumping competition which requires the rider and horse to complete the required courses in the correct sequence and within the allowed time.

This year's competitions included the Longines Grand Prix (obstacle height 150 cm), the BMW Elite Class (135 cm), the Team Championship (125 cm), the Dashing Challenge (110 cm), the BMW Drive & Jump Competition, and the U14 Rising (60 cm).

Ingmar de Vos, president of the International Equestrian Federation, says there is a real thirst in China for new events and innovative ways to develop the sport to entice new audiences and attract world-renowned riders.

"For China's up-and-coming athletes, this is their opportunity to learn and observe from the best, while for the audience, it is a master class in equestrian savoir-faire," says De Vos.

The U14 Rising, for riders under 14, was held for the first time, attracting 36 young riders.

Zhao Yi'an, 13, ranked 8th in the competition at 26.91 seconds and no penalties.

For seven years, Yi'an had been in the audience at the Bird's Nest watching professional riders compete, but this year, she got a chance to ride.

"Finally I can jump inside the Bird's Nest!" says Yi'an, who didn't feel any tension as she was so focused on her riding.

Yi'an says that when she was first taken to the grasslands to see her father ride a horse she was only 2 years old, and that she fell in love with horses right away.

A female rider competes at the 8th Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters, held at the Bird’s Nest, which attracted 251 competitors. (WEI XIAOHAO / CHINA DAILY)

She begged her father to teach her how to ride since then, but it wasn't until she turned 7 that her parents agreed to let her ride.

Now Yi'an trains three times a week, and each session lasts for three to four hours.

"I don't feel tired because I love riding. My training is systematic and I'm practicing basic skills under my coach's direction," says Yi'an.

"He tells me to ride different horses in each session to improve my skills."

Before the competition, her coach Dong Fei studied the course and designed a route for her, finding the best angle to jump the barriers in the least time.

Frank Rothenberger from Germany is the course designer, who has witnessed the sport grow in China since 2011.

"For me the Bird's Nest is one of the most spectacular venues in the world. It is fantastic being able to stage a show-jumping competition here," says Rothenberger.

Yi'an says her horse, Elf, performed well in the competition ensuring that she got no penalties. "My horse was brave enough to jump over every barrier with no hesitation," she says.

Yi'an says the secret of her success is to feed her horse a carrot before a competition.

"Food can bribe any horse, but, before I feed the horse I let it smell my face or hand to identify me," says Yi'an.

"I also clean the horse each time I complete my training, so that my horse remembers me."

Yi'an's parents saw their daughter compete at the Bird's Nest, and they noticed her improved riding skills.

After her competition, she got the chance to watch the top riders compete in the riders' tent, which is much closer to the field than the regular audience's seats.

The event, besides bringing together world ranked international riders and China's top show-jumpers, also celebrates the equestrian lifestyle.

To that end, an equine park was built in the area to popularize the equestrian culture.

The riding experience area in the park had long queues, as many parents wanted their kids to experience the sport.

According to the program book of the competition, 70.9 percent of the riders were male, but, in the U14 and U18 groups, there were more female riders than males.

Also, more young riders were part of the competition this year as 34 percent of the riders were born post 2000, compared with 22.7 percent born in the 1990s.

In Yi'an's equestrian club, all five of her coach's students are girls.

As for her future, Yi'an, who is going into senior middle school next year, says: "I may not become a professional rider when I grow up, but I plan to do a job that's related to horses."

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn


Share this story

CHINA DAILY
HONG KONG NEWS
OPEN
Please click in the upper right corner to open it in your browser !