For local Hong Kongers, they couldn't be more familiar with horses: the city owns two state-of- the-art horse racetracks and news about the racing is always a hot topic on TV, radio and in newspapers.

But in this August, they would find their equine pals somehow quite down. Instead of galloping around the racetracks, they just take a few leisurely strolls on an empty ground, or show occasional footwork, or, when they are in good mood, do some simple jumping.

From Aug. 9 to 21, equestrian events, the first-ever Olympic sport the city hosts, are indeed offering Hong Kongers a brand new look of their favorite animal.

On the first day of the 11-day competition, quite some Hong Kong spectators left the Shatin equestrian arena before the dressage event wound up. A boy told reporters that the competition was "boring" and far different from what he had expected.

Another woman, after moments of hesitation, said she preferred to describe the event as "quiet".

But as the event went on, especially when the more entertaining jumping and cross-country disciplines are kicking off, spectators began to enjoy the game, if not appreciate it.

At Monday's cross-country event, the crowd burst into cheering when the horses made successful jumping and let out sighs of regrets when they failed.

When Chinese rider Hua Tian fell from the horse as he attempted to clear the hurdles in morning's cross-country competition, the spectators sighed heavily for the drama.

Equestrian fans

Nevertheless, the city is not without real equestrian fans. Douglas Chan, a private doctor, would never miss the competition, which, in his words, is probably an "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".

"The beauty of the game lies in the perfect combination of man and the animal when they are doing some very difficult moves," he said.

In order to see his favorite sport, Chan need to get up early in the morning and spend hours in traffic and security checks before entering the arena in Shatin, but he said it was still very worthwhile.

Chan said he hoped that equestrian events could become more popular in Hong Kong, as a complement to the already-feverish horse racing. "This would change the myth that equestrianism only belongs to the noble few," he said.

Popularizing the sport

Sam Lai, an equestrian officer with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Tuen Mun Public Riding School, is one of the Hong Kongers who dedicate themselves to popularizing the game.

The hosting of equestrian events in Hong Kong has offered a chance for Hong Kong people to get familiarized with the game, especially the basics of the game, said Lai.

In fact, since the news that Hong Kong would host the Olympic equestrian events hit the city in 2005, the popularity of the sport has already undergone a boost among ordinary citizens.

The Tuen Mun Public Riding School, where Lai works, had to install ten more stalls and introduce ten new horses to meet public demand for learning. Other riding schools under Hong Kong Jockey Club also had plans to upgrade their facilities.

Now, more than 1,000 people are on the waiting list of the city's three public riding schools and many of them had to wait for another one to three years to get enrolled, according to sources from the Jockey Club.

"The sport would definitely be more popular after the Games," said Lai.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2008)