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Hangzhou horsemen saddle up for equestrian hurdles
By Xu Wenwen |
February 10, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN amateur equestrian Yu Weidong dismounts his mixed-breed horse Evermore, he can't help exclaiming, "Horseback riding gives me so much pleasure!"
No wonder the 42-year-old businessman has shelled out hundreds of thousands of yuan on his equestrian passion over the past two years.
Yu is a horse owner in one of Hangzhou's 20 equestrian clubs, and the Hangzhou Equestrian Association says the noble sport is increasing rapidly in popularity, despite the high costs.
In 2009, Hangzhou built its first international standard (90 meters by 60 meters) equestrian field in the local B&G Horse Industry Chamber. Last May the city launched the Hangzhou Equestrian Association.
Early this year the city held its first national equestrian event, which attracted 20 clubs around the country.
"Horseback riding tones the body, strengthens core muscles, benefits the internal organs and is a great release of stress and pressure, so it should be welcome to modern people," says Ni Bingkui, vice chairman of Hangzhou Equestrian Association and board chairman of B&G Horse Industry Chamber.
But the association has a lot of work to do and one of the most important missions is "correcting people's stereotype about equestrianism that they get from costume dramas and TV series," says Ni.
Serious equestrianism takes lot of work and requires great skill, precision, the proper equipment and dress and communication with a horse.
Many people think it means just galloping around, says Ni.
"A real equestrian, especially in dressage, demonstrates skills with great elegance. It's not just riding a running horse."
His view is shared by Bao Zhiqing, the club's trainer from Taiwan who competed with the Taipei equestrian team and has been involved in the equestrian field for 37 years.
"Some riders just want the horse to run fast, but that's not important - what's important is control," says Bao.
"A lot of people quit after several tries because they are satisfied with 'simple running,' which is far from authentic equestrianism," Ni adds.
Clubs lose a lot of active riders who don't want to put in the work in the ring. The association estimates there are 500 members of equestrian clubs in Hangzhou, but only around 100 are active.
The high threshold costs - a horse, equipment and riding habit - and the cost of boarding a horse discourage many horse lovers. Not many people are like Yu who can afford to splash money on the sport.
To appeal to more people, local clubs are offering both high-end and more affordable equipment.
For instance, an Hermes saddle costs around 100,000 yuan (US$15,180), while an ordinary saddle only costs around 2,000 yuan. A crop can cost tens of yuan to thousands of yuan.
A ride costs around 200 yuan for 45 minutes; lessons cost at least 100 yuan.
As for horses, there's no upper limit to the cost, while the least expensive adequate horse is around 50,000 yuan, says Ni from the association.
So what's the minimum?
Zhou Jian from the association cites the example of one "crazy fan." "The guy is an ordinary office worker, he buys a cheap horse and tack and every weekend he takes the bus to get to the club. He spends a little more than 1,000 yuan a month."
According to the association, China has around 100,000 equestrians (members of equestrian clubs), so Hangzhou's total of 500 is tiny.
"Given Hangzhou's economic strength, horseback riding should be more popular," says Zhou.
Last summer, the B&G Horse Industry Chamber held a children's summer camp, and unexpectedly all places were fulled. "This suggests that Hangzhou people are passionate about the sport and there's lots of potential," says Ni.
No wonder the 42-year-old businessman has shelled out hundreds of thousands of yuan on his equestrian passion over the past two years.
Yu is a horse owner in one of Hangzhou's 20 equestrian clubs, and the Hangzhou Equestrian Association says the noble sport is increasing rapidly in popularity, despite the high costs.
In 2009, Hangzhou built its first international standard (90 meters by 60 meters) equestrian field in the local B&G Horse Industry Chamber. Last May the city launched the Hangzhou Equestrian Association.
Early this year the city held its first national equestrian event, which attracted 20 clubs around the country.
"Horseback riding tones the body, strengthens core muscles, benefits the internal organs and is a great release of stress and pressure, so it should be welcome to modern people," says Ni Bingkui, vice chairman of Hangzhou Equestrian Association and board chairman of B&G Horse Industry Chamber.
But the association has a lot of work to do and one of the most important missions is "correcting people's stereotype about equestrianism that they get from costume dramas and TV series," says Ni.
Serious equestrianism takes lot of work and requires great skill, precision, the proper equipment and dress and communication with a horse.
Many people think it means just galloping around, says Ni.
"A real equestrian, especially in dressage, demonstrates skills with great elegance. It's not just riding a running horse."
His view is shared by Bao Zhiqing, the club's trainer from Taiwan who competed with the Taipei equestrian team and has been involved in the equestrian field for 37 years.
"Some riders just want the horse to run fast, but that's not important - what's important is control," says Bao.
"A lot of people quit after several tries because they are satisfied with 'simple running,' which is far from authentic equestrianism," Ni adds.
Clubs lose a lot of active riders who don't want to put in the work in the ring. The association estimates there are 500 members of equestrian clubs in Hangzhou, but only around 100 are active.
The high threshold costs - a horse, equipment and riding habit - and the cost of boarding a horse discourage many horse lovers. Not many people are like Yu who can afford to splash money on the sport.
To appeal to more people, local clubs are offering both high-end and more affordable equipment.
For instance, an Hermes saddle costs around 100,000 yuan (US$15,180), while an ordinary saddle only costs around 2,000 yuan. A crop can cost tens of yuan to thousands of yuan.
A ride costs around 200 yuan for 45 minutes; lessons cost at least 100 yuan.
As for horses, there's no upper limit to the cost, while the least expensive adequate horse is around 50,000 yuan, says Ni from the association.
So what's the minimum?
Zhou Jian from the association cites the example of one "crazy fan." "The guy is an ordinary office worker, he buys a cheap horse and tack and every weekend he takes the bus to get to the club. He spends a little more than 1,000 yuan a month."
According to the association, China has around 100,000 equestrians (members of equestrian clubs), so Hangzhou's total of 500 is tiny.
"Given Hangzhou's economic strength, horseback riding should be more popular," says Zhou.
Last summer, the B&G Horse Industry Chamber held a children's summer camp, and unexpectedly all places were fulled. "This suggests that Hangzhou people are passionate about the sport and there's lots of potential," says Ni.
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