Club's young rider Kendall Kruger stars in successful debut event at Club-built Asian Games venue

18/09/2010

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Junior Equestrian Team member Kendall Kruger, partnered by Mountain Treasure, got a feeling for the terrain of the coming Asian Games today (18 September) when she led the victory lap in the “Energetic Guangzhou – Equestrian Invitation Competition”, the debut event staged at the Asian Games equestrian venue at Conghua, designed and built by The Hong Kong Jockey Club.  Second place on the podium went to Hong Kong rider Jennifer Lee while Mainland rider Liang Ruiji was third. 

Kendall said she felt proud and excited to be the first-ever winner at this venue.  “The facilities and support services here are superb and professionally run. I am really looking forward to seeing the high-standard competitions here during the Games,” she said.  

The Club has made good use of the experience it gained from Hong Kong's staging of the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics to create the Conghua venue, and will also provide professional advice and technical support during the Asian Games.  In recognition of the Club's support, the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC) has honoured the Club with the title of “Outstanding Contributor, 16th Asian Games Equestrian Events”.

The equestrian competitions of the Guangzhou Asian Games will take place between 14 and 24 November. After the Games are over, the Club will convert the Conghua venue into a new racehorse training centre, which will extend the Club's existing training capabilities and overcome the capacity constraints of the current training and stabling facilities at Sha Tin Racecourse.  It will also enable the Club to put a comprehensive refurbishment of the Sha Tin facilities under way, upgrading them to world-class standards.