Seventeen former Hong Kong racehorses now retrained for equestrian sport will have a new starring role next week when they participate in a test event for the upcoming Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games, alongside one imported equestrian horse. The test event will take place from 16 to 18 September at the newly-completed Asian Games equestrian venue in Conghua, designed and built by The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The safe arrival of the 18 horses at Conghua today (10 September) also marks the successful implementation of a Specific Equine Disease-free Zone (SEDFZ), running the whole way from Hong Kong to Conghua, north-east of Guangzhou.
This pioneering initiative, the first such zone on the Chinese Mainland, has been established with the close co-operation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the PRC, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The SEDFZ enables horses from around the world to return to their countries with a set of quarantine protocols for their transportation. It implies that the Conghua Asian Games equestrian venue is the only Mainland location that can host international equine races and events.
In recognition of the Club’s support, the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GACOG) 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.
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Photos 1, 2: The 18 horses depart from Sha Tin Racecourse for the Guangzhou Asian Games equestrian venue in Conghua. | 
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Photo 3, 4, 5 & 6: Horses for the Asian Games test event are taken to Conghua on the Clubs air-conditioned floats, passing through Hong Kong SAR and Guangdong province. This marks the successful implementation of a Specific Equine Disease-free Zone between the two locations. | 
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Photo 7, 8 & 9: The 18 horses arrive in top condition at the newly-completed Asian Games equestrian venue in Conghua, designed and built by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, in preparation for the test event taking place from 16 to 18 September | 
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