Intl equine summit sits China in the saddle

China's ambition to join the upper echelon of the global equine industry won't be realized overnight, but the country has been working hard to occupy a place in the traditionally Western-dominated industry.

The 2017 International Horse Industry Summit was held from Oct 24 to 26 in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province, to discuss the development of China's horse industry and build a cooperation and exchange platform for the global equine industry.

Organized by the Qingdao municipal bureau of sports, the Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and the influential bimonthly magazine Horsemanship, the summit promoted communication between domestic and foreign equine enterprises and agencies on the way to improving China's equine industry.

Attendees exchange ideas during the 2017 International Horse Industry Summit held from Oct 24 to 26 in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Hu Yaojie/chinanews.com]   

More than 300 experts and elites were invited to the summit, specializing in fields such as horse breeding, equestrian education, racecourse master planning, equestrian club operation and horse-racing organizing.

Lynn Petersen, chief executive of the British Horse Society (BHS), Erik Grandiere, chairman of the UNIC French Horse Connexion, Norbert Camp, chairman of the Trakehner Association and Timothy Court, designer of Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 Olympic equestrian venues, were all in attendance.

Lynn Petersen, chief executive of the British Horse Society (BHS), delivers a keynote speech during the 2017 International Horse Industry Summit. [Photo/ sina.com.cn]

Several themes were discussed during the summit, including "Operating a World Class Horse Park", "Link Between Sports and Breeding", "How to Choose a Racing Horse with Exceptional Abilities", "30 Years of China Horse Racing", "How to Operate a Successful Equestrian Club" and "The Importance of Master planning: Key Design Criteria".