Parents feel that fencing and horseback riding will open doors to new worlds. Zhang Yi reports.

Young students take part in fencing bouts at Vango Sports in September. (ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY)

Almost every weekend, Luo Hua takes her 8-year-old daughter to horseback riding lessons at an equestrian club on the outskirts of Fuzhou, Fujian province. The grade three primary school student has been learning equestrian skills for three years.

"When my daughter is on horseback, dressed in a handsome riding outfit and holding the reins, she looks like a valiant little knight," Luo said. "She also likes playing with her horse and the two are just like old friends."

I think these hobbies will be helpful to my career, and my parents provide lots of support for me to learn them

Qian Dehao, college student in Beijing

Luo's monthly salary is about 10,000 yuan (US$1,548), and although she pays nearly 50,000 yuan a year for her daughter's riding expenses, she thinks the cost is worth it because she has seen positive changes in the girl.

"She has become braver, because every new movement she learns on horseback－each requiring courage and concentration－is a breakthrough for her," she said.

Against a background of traditional after-school courses such as ball sports and swimming, new arrivals such as equestrianism, fencing, sailing, diving, golf and other niche sports have gained popularity with parents in recent years.

Despite the high cost, many parents are willing to pay for their children to learn these sports at an early age because the skills they acquire can help them become more competitive.

Chen Zhentao, a coach at Aimahui, an equestrian club in Beijing, said horseback riding used to be a high-end, niche activity in China, but in recent years more children from regular families have started learning to ride.

At Chen's club in the capital's Changping district, there are about 400 young learners, most of them ages 3 to 12.

Children can start riding as early as 3 years old. At the initial stage it's not necessary for them to acquire any skills, but they can learn how to get along with animals, including bathing the horse and combing its mane, Chen said.

The parents of young learners come from various walks of life, ranging from white-collar workers to businesspeople.

In particular, those who have lived overseas know more about equestrianism and are more willing to let their children learn the skills, he added.

Children practice fencing during a training program at Vango Sports, a fencing club in Beijing, in September. (ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY)

Benefits

Chen said most parents hope their children will develop good personal qualities through the activity, such as courage, concentration, confidence, endurance and a sense of responsibility.

"Riding requires good cooperation between rider and horse. When a child tries to control the horse independently, the horse will not cooperate if the rider doesn't focus on it," he said.

Riders need to be brave because after a certain level, they have to undertake challenging activities, such as jumping hurdles and galloping, he added.

The sport can also improve both body shape and the student's temperament. The riding posture helps to correct bad habits such as hunching the back and makes the riders more elegant, according to Chen.

Like equestrianism, fencing was once a niche sport, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular in first-tier cities.

Jiang Jiajun, a coach at Vango Sports, a fencing club in Beijing, said Chinese athletes' performances in international events have raised the sport's profile domestically.

A boy pats a horse at a riding club in Beijing in September. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

Zhong Man and Lei Sheng won fencing gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games respectively, while the women's epee team won gold at the 2012 Games.

Jiang said the growing social acceptance of the sport in Beijing can be gauged from the rising number of clubs and contestants in fencing leagues every year.

He recalled that in 2006, when Vango Sports opened its first club in the capital, it was small scale and had few customers. Now, though, there are four clubs in the city. Back in 2006, there were few fencing club brands in Beijing, but there is far more choice today.

At the club where Jiang works, many children practice after school or at weekends, and their parents usually start them off at a very early age, Jiang said.

He noted that the parents come from all walks of life, including entrepreneurs, executives, and regular workers, and they all have financial muscle. Most of the students are ages 4 to 12, but there are also a few adults, mainly parents who learn as companions for their children.

Parents want to see their children's fitness improve through practice and for them to develop an interest in the sport. Fencing helps to develop concentration and coordination because it requires the simultaneous movement of hands and feet on the same side of the body, Jiang said.

"Fencing is an elegant sport compared with wrestling, boxing and other confrontational sports," Jiang said. "Many parents, especially those born in the 1980s, think it is cool and fashionable to show off if their children can master the skills, because few kids learn it."

Children take a class at the riding club. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

Practical purposes

Last year, Chen Hui, a 33-year-old e-commerce employee in Shanghai, started taking her 6-year-old son to fencing lessons after learning that a good standard can help students with college applications.

"I heard about it from other parents and I don't want my son to be left behind. If he learns well, it will be useful in the future. At least, it's a more exclusive pursuit than other sports because not many kids follow it," she said.

Jiang, the coach, said that when young learners practice fencing for several years, parents often have more practical motives.

For example, they hope that their child will win prizes in competitions or even gain admittance to top universities via their fencing skills.

Some of the students from his club have been admitted to Tsinghua University in Beijing, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Duke University in the United States and renowned schools at home and abroad as a result of their abilities.

"Universities need some students who are good at fencing to represent them in competitions. These students may not get into elite universities if they simply rely on their academic performance," he said.

However, in addition to excellent fencing skills, applicants need to show enough academic prowess in the entrance examination to gain admittance to these universities.

A girl practices balancing on a horse at a riding club in Beijing. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

It takes years of practice to reach a high level in fencing. Students have to train at the club for two hours, three or four times a week, after school, according to Jiang.

During his 11 years at the club, he has taught about 600 children, but fewer than 20 have managed to continue practicing as a long-term hobby after leaving the club.

"After learning for three years, parents will let their children quit if they don't achieve results in competitions. Those who continue will work toward higher goals, which require sustained investment of time and money," he said.

For Qian Dehao, 18, a college student in Beijing, learning to play golf and ride horses is preparation for possible social functions in the future. He was curious and eager to learn the skills when he saw that many successful people pursued these hobbies.

"These activities are a social thing for people in the upper echelons of life. A business deal can be made during a round of golf. Horseback riding can help develop useful contacts because many riders come from decent backgrounds," he said.

"I think these hobbies will be helpful to my career, and my parents provide lots of support for me to learn them."

Qian majors in math, and plans to study finance at postgraduate level so he can join the business elite in the future.

Children compete in a football game in Guiyang, Guizhou province, in July. (OU DONGQU / XINHUA)

Cost

Equestrian courses don't come cheap, according to Chen, the coach. At his club, a 90-minute lesson costs about 800 yuan－a moderate price for Beijing－and many of the parents spend 10,000 to 20,000 yuan a year on their children's riding lessons.

Also, the parents of advanced learners, especially those who take part in equestrian competitions, usually buy their child a horse because they will need to develop a close connection with their steed, he said.

Horses range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan, or even 1 million yuan-plus, and the cost rises as owners have to pay someone to look after the horse in the stables, according to him.

Jiang, the fencing coach, said the annual membership fee at his club is 15,000 yuan, but that only allows students to take group classes.

Those who want to achieve a higher standard will need extra lessons, during which they will put on professional fencing garb and spar with a coach.

A one-on-one lesson costs 400 to 800 yuan for two hours. Most learners will take private lessons once a week, while good students will take two or three a week, he said.

"There are also expenses for travel, accommodation and clothing when students take part in competitions away from home," he said.

"It's costly, but many parents are willing to spend big on it."

Contact the writer at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn