On the 9th of September, 2015, the press conference of the signing ceremony between Chinese Equestrian Association (CEA) and Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was held at the Management Centre of Cycling and Fencing (MCCF) of General Administration of Sport of China (GASC).

WANG Wei, Deputy Chairman of the CEA and head of MCCF, JI Daoming, deputy of MCCF, Richard C K Cheung, Executive Director of Customer and Marketing of HKJC and Andrew Harding, Executive Director of Racing Authority of HKJC attended the conference.

(photo courtesy of the CEA, JI Daoming {first left}, WANG Wei {second left}, Richard C K Cheung {second right} and Andrew Harding {first right})

The strategic cooperation between the CEA and HKJC can be summed up in the National Flat Racing Series and the Grand Final in Guangzhou of LONGINES China Equestrian Tour HKJC Cup. The core and key to promote equestrian sports is the high-level races which exemplify professionalism, brand and influence. Hong Kong Jockey Club has been committed to flat racing with its professional and systematic running of races. In addition, equestrian sport in mainland China has been generally accepted by riders, clubs and general public with itd increasing influence per annum.

In the conference, Mr. JI Daoming pointed out the strategic cooperation between the CEA and HKJC has the capacity of combining the mainland equestrian market with its huge potential and the racing running and technology of HKJC. Together the two organizations can complement each other's advantages, build a high-level race brand of international importance and be in search of a unique path for China’s equestrian sport. In the meantime, the purpose of this conference is also to boost the marketing of horse culture and build a solid foundation of China equestrian sport. The cooperation also plans to nurture equestrian talents and develop the market of equestrian sport among general public.

Richard C K Cheung and Andrew Harding also stated that in the next five years, HKJC will provide technological support for flat races organised by the CEA and assist the CEA in revising Rules of Racing. Specifically, the assistance would include field technology training, judge training, rider classification, drug test and flat racing information management, etc. In this way, both the CEA and HKJC wishes a more mature national racing management system be formed in due time. At the same time, HKJC will assist CEA with the marketing development of national flat racing as well as extending its international influence. HKJC will, in the next four years, continue to be the Title Sponsor of aforementioned Grand Final in Guangzhou.

(photo courtesy of the CEA)

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of HKJC also expresses his great confidence in this cooperation and remarked that HKJC will support CEA, on the basis of flat racing in mainland China, to upgrade its performance and management to a new level, thus making a lasting contribution to mainland flat racing.

Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded in 1884 and is a racing authority at international level and Hong Kong’s premier charity and community benefactor. HKJC, as a non-profit organization, donated 3.87 billion Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) to charity and community projects in 2014-2015 season. In the past decade, HKJC has donated to more than 1300 projects. Besides, HKJC is also Hong Kong’s single biggest taxpaying organization and paid 25.05 billion HKD of taxes to the government, the highest in 2014-2015 season. All this time, HKJC is committed to pursuing excellence at global level as well as giving back to society.

This cooperation marks the two parties established a firm strategic cooperative partnership and built a good foundation for China’s equestrian sport.