Hong Kong - Venues and Facilities
Monday, March 03, 2008
Hong Kong is surely the world’s number one hot spot for racing in the world, and either love it or hate it, it is thanks to that, that the 2008 Olympics look set to be one of the best.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club organises all the racing on the island at either one of its two state of the art facilities. It operates through a not-for-profit business, whereby its surpluses go to charitable and community projects. The Club's donations of over HK$1 billion a year make it one of the largest non-government charity/community donors in the world.
With its vast experience in world class racing, the HKJC will support the nation by investing HK$1.2 billion into the games.
On such a densely populated island so famous for its gambling, business, finance and high building – it seems unimaginable without seeing it in the flesh that Hong Kong will be able to fit everything in!!
With a population of a little under 7 million and with just 2,000 of those involved in equestrian activities you are also left wondering if anyone will even know about the Olympics – that is until you get to the island!!
From the moment you step off the plane, every street you walk down and every time you turn on the TV you are reminded that the 2008 Beijing Olympics are coming to Hong Kong!
There are 9 riding schools on the island of which the HKJC runs the 3 public ones. With the Olympic buzz there is currently up to a 3 year waiting list, which is set to increase as the games get nearer. Potential riders can of course join one of the private riding schools for undisclosed fee!
To aid the communities understanding of equestrian sport and to increase awareness the HKJC have even built an Equestrian Pavilion in the centre of one of the parks where people can read, watch and learn all about horses and the sport. Children can even groom a life size model horse in its Olympic stable, look at show jumps and pet a real life Shetland pony! The government have even got famed Hong Kong film star, Jackie Chan in a pair of jodhpurs to join in their publicity.
VENUES
Sha Tin racecourse will be the main venue for dressage and showjumping; this will also be the permanent base for horses and grooms.
With the HK sports institute based here and a large public park, it seemed the ideal venue to convert and build on the existing facilities.
As well as the main competition arena for the dressage and show jumping, which will seat 18,000, there will be 13 training arenas, a 800m xc track and schooling area, a 1,200m bridle track at Penfold Park. A tuft gallop track is provided at the racecourse. There are 200 purpose built air-conditioned stables on site, grooms accommodation and even an air-conditioned indoor school, in a converted badminton court!
The very high humidity, alongside a potential flooding risk, means that the organisers have several contingency plans in place. At the Sha Tin venue the dressage and show jumping will take place from 6.30 am until 10am and then again the evenings form 7.15pm trough to 12.30am.
The cross country will take place at the Beas River Country Club approx 1.5hours from Shar Tin. Horses will need to be transported from their base to the new site just for the day. A fleet of 10 refrigeration style artists will take the horses to their stop over.
British course designer Mike Etherington-Smith will be responsible for the course design, whilst the famous Willis brothers are carrying out the construction of the fences. With the competitions huge budget the ground facilities should be second to none. In the lead up to last years test event nearly 7cm of rain fell. Thankfully with the draining systems in place it was draining away at 1.3cm an hour. The ground was so superb that it was described as ‘too perfect’ by some, ‘guess you’ll never please an event rider!!
The course measures 5.7kms in length and is on average 10m wide. With loops built into the course, it has been designed so that should it be too wet or hot is can be adapted to run over 4km or 5km.
When the horses finish, as well as the spray cooling machines at the end of the course there will be further cooling marquees, as used in Atlanta, There will also be mobile cooling units on quad mikes should a horse in a specific area need attention.
VETERINARY AND DOPING
The Hong Kong Jockey Club operates its own, state-of-the-art Equine Hospital, situated adjacent to the main stable block at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The facility provides routine and specialist clinical care for all horses in Hong Kong, including thoroughbreds in race training and those used for equestrian purposes in the nine riding schools.
The Equine Hospital comprises an operating theatre, associated anaesthetic induction and recovery rooms and a clinical laboratory.
Nine equine clinicians staff members the hospital. The head of department is an internationally recognised specialist in equine orthopaedics. A team of five veterinary nurses, three laboratory technicians and seven administrative staff supports the clinicians. The department includes a team of 23 farriers.
A purpose-built equine clinic will be constructed at the venue for the Olympic equestrian events to provide both diagnostic and primary treatment services during the quarantine and Games period.
It will also contain two examination rooms, a dedicated pharmacy, ten observation stables and will be located adjacent to the Main Stabling Compound.
A farrier's workshop will be provided adjacent to the veterinary facility.
