Participants and organizers of the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian events, which will take place in Hong Kong in August, will find it extremely difficult to deal with temperatures that are predicted to reach a scorching 35°C. Factor in high percentage humidity to the scorching heat and that provides event conditions that organisers describe, with a degree of understatement as “not that equine-friendly”.
The welfare of the horses is the main priority for the event’s organizers, even though it is unquestionably extremely uncomfortable for riders. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has contributed nearly £50 million to the project, eager to see that everything goes as planned. New facilities have been specially built for the occasion. Before designing and planning new facilities or making modifications to existing ones, the club sought thorough veterinary advice to ensure that it happened.
The facilities will be used to host the three-day eventing, dressage, and show-jumping competitions; this will be the first time any significant horse-related events have been held in Hong Kong in the stifling heat of August. Although horse racing has been a significant fixture on the area’s sporting calendar since 1884, it has never happened during this typically hot and muggy month.
The Sha Tin racecourse will include show jumping and dressage venues, the training facilities will be in the middle of the circuit, and the cross-country course at the Hong Kong Golf Club and Beas River Country Club is 30 minutes away by car. The course can be shortened in cases of extreme heat or humidity or when the welfare of the horses is at risk because it has been designed with four different set-ups.
The events are scheduled for early mornings and later in the evenings under floodlights in an effort to make them more horse-friendly in the predicted conditions. The cross-country track will still have mobile cooling units available to treat overheated horses, and there will be a cutting-edge equine hospital on site.
The horses will be housed in stalls that are comparable to those in a Hong Kong five-star hotel from an equestrian perspective. Each of the 200 horse stables will have air conditioning, openable roofs, and backup fans in case the air conditioning fails. Once the riders’ tack has been taken off, walk-through misting tents will enable horses to get a fine cooling spray.
The Jockey Club hosted this year’s Good Luck Beijing Cup on the same dates as next year’s Olympic events as a test to make sure the facilities would function under competitive circumstances. The organization was confident and eager to host the Olympics the following year because everything went according to plan and any minor issues were resolved.