Former Miss France Sophie Thalmann, better known in Hong Kong as the wife of top jockey Christophe Soumillon, was posing for the cameras in Penfold Park on Sunday, 27 January, despite the cold weather.
Crowned Miss France in 1998, Sophie Thalmann is known throughout France for her television work, particularly on the equestrian television channel Equidia. She is a former jumping rider and was more than happy to climb aboard one of the Club's retired racehorses, which is now used as a lead horse on race days.
Sophie took time out to visit the Club's Olympic equestrian training venues in Penfold Park and the main competition arena in the refurbished Hong Kong Sports Institute, with French fashion photographer Sandra Fourqui - and one of the club photographic team - capturing every moment for posterity.
Ms Thalmann was snapped at locations all round Hong Kong for three of the top-selling French magazines - Figaro, Paris-Match and Gala - but with her equestrian background and the huge interest in horses all over France, the Olympic venues will be of particular interest to her fans.
Sophie's husband, the Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon, was kept pretty busy on Sunday too, steering Supremacy to win the first race on the card and picking up two seconds as well. Soumillon has notched up 10 winners since his arrival in Hong Kong at the start of December.
