HKJC participates in CNY Night Parade for 15th consecutive year

27 January 2010

The Hong Kong Jockey Club will celebrate the New Year of the Tiger with Hong Kong people by organising a series of special horse-themed events during the Chinese New Year holidays, starting on Sunday 14 February when the Club's float participates in the annual International Chinese New Year Night Parade.  The Club has supported this popular international event, held on the first day of Chinese New Year, every year since it was launched in 1996.

The festive events also form part of the Club's continuing celebrations of its 125th Anniversary season.  Its Night Parade float has been designed to show the Club's contribution to the city over the past 125 years, and will be supported by a performance team of around 60 energetic young people, sharing the joy of Chinese New Year with local residents and overseas visitors.

Bearing the title "Sports, Charities, Entertainment and Racing Ahead for You", the float will be led by two Shetland ponies which symbolise a New Year full of opportunities and freshness.  A golden racehorse in full gallop on the front signifies the Club's continued efforts to drive the development of Hong Kong's horse racing and racecourse facilities to world-class levels, providing exciting and colourful entertainment that has become a favourite with visitors. The float also shows to the world that Hong Kong staged the equestrian events of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 - a highly succesful event for which the venues created by the Club were widely rated as the best in Olympic history. Some sand pictures presenting the Club's greetings to the city will be shown on the float as well.

A group of young dancers from SkyHigh Creative Partners in Tin Shui Wai, a project funded by the Club's Charities Trust, will join racing trainees to demonstrate the dynamism and creativity of the younger generation at this international party.  Also not to be missed is a demonstration of the Hong Kong Can Do Exercise routines, specially developed for the Club's 125th Anniversary programme.  The young performers hope to encourage healthy living and spread Hong Kong's positive "can-do" spirit to parade audiences throughout the world.

In addition, popular Club figures will send their New Year greetings to visitors, including jockey Matthew Chadwick, National Games equestrian gold medallist Patrick Lam and his teammate Samantha Lam, and the Equine Heroes mascots.  

After enjoying a festive parade night, visitors can join two more special Club events to celebrate the New Year - the Chinese New Year Raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse on Tuesday 16 February, and the Equine Fun Fest on 19 and 20 February at Sha Tin's Penfold Park. The Club's parade float will also be exhibited at these two events.

125th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009/10 season.  Over the past 125 years, it has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.