‘It is funny to use the overseas horses and play the racing by themselves?’ A domestic horse lover in the industry said to Horse China One.
He was talking about the 2017 Yitai Desert Ordos Thoroughbred Racing, which is a new brand racing created by Yitai Desert Company in Inner Mongolia. This event is in the series of Yitai Desert Star Theme Racing, with Tourism Culture Cup and Green Energy Cup on July 22nd and September 16th, and included the International China Equine Cultural Festival (CECF).
(CHC China Horse Club CEO, Zude Zhang. Picture: Sina Sports)
According to a media report about CECF held on August 21st, 2016, ‘The money prize was up to 2.5 million RMB which is one of the highest prize racing in China.’ But in the opinion of the parts of people in the horse circle, although the high reward is beneficial for improving the reputation for Ordos, but it is doubtable about whether it has a profound influence for domestic horse industry development or not.
Horse China One got the information from a horse lover, 2016 Inner Mongolia CECF attracted 12 riders and 35 thoroughbreds to the racing, including 5 riders from Russia, Barbados, Australia and Britain. And the riders from Britain, Australia, China and Russian got the champion in the four thoroughbred races in that day. ‘Are there any Chinese horses in the racing? No, the horses were all transported from overseas.’ A man in the horse circle said to Horse China One, although he is a horse owner, he didn’t have the qualification and the mind of applying the race. In his point of view, the 2.5 million prizes was only a gimmick which could not have a direct profit to domestic nomad and a greatly beneficial effect to Chinese horse Industry.
(Picture: Xinhuanet)
‘Could you see the Ordos Golden Cup that just held? Are there any Chinese thoroughbreds or half-thoroughbreds in the racing? And are there any famous horse owners from mainland China horse circle?’ The information provider also mentioned that, numerous Chinese entrepreneurs who had gone to the event mostly were the new horse owners from Yitai Desert Company. ‘As I know, those top Chinese racing horse owners, there was no one in the race. This is very interesting.’ Revealing by the Wechat account of China Horse Club (CHC), the chairman of Yitai Desert Company, Zude Zhang made a special trip from Britain to Ordos for encouraging Ordos Golden Cup. And the winners of the event were from the cities in mainland China, such as Fujian, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.
(Picture: Xinhuanet)
‘If an entrepreneur holds a horse racing and set the reward as 10 million RMB, but only their own horses to participate and the prize is mostly in their own horse owners, how do you think this event to China Horse Industry?’ Another person said, in the point of his view, some thoroughbred or national racing had much gimmick but didn’t give that much prize to the rider. And some of winner was being cancelled the ranking because of various reasons. This is a negative influence to the horse industry ethos, hurting the horse lovers.
However, parts of the people believed that the combination of traditional horse culture and modern speed racing, not only encourages the horse industry development in Ordos, but also carries forward the horse culture of Ejin Horo Banner. It drives a whole integration of Ejin Horo Banner’s cultural, tourist and sport industry, enriching the intention of tourism, which is the commended point of Yitai Desert Horse Industry.
The CEO of Inner Mongolia Yitai Desert Company, last year Zude Zhang showed that the contract of horse cultivation and trusteeship of Ejin Horo Banner racecourse indicating the consolidate construction of CECF in the area and the ambition of Ordos horse industry improvement.
(Picture: Xinhuanet)
A man from the horse industry told us that some of the domestic horse entrepreneurs import good horses and high-class stud from overseas. Though Zude Zhang is a foreigner but with a Chinese horse racing dream, the national emotion of the activity and thoughts are praiseful.
The man also mentioned some voices in the horse circle, ‘if the foreigners create the racing with a closed type and making sure their non-outflow money, they were just for business benefits. And at the same time, they wouldn’t import the high-class horses but using the domestic funding to invest the overseas industry only for their reputation.’
But the man also admitted that these voices were just come from some people’s speculation. However, it revealed the worry and doubt from domestic horse lovers, with demand of clarification by some relevant departments.
In point of his view, the ambition and effort that Zude Zhang made for Chinese horse racing is positive. But how can he lead CHC and Yitai Desert and let Chinese horses extensively participate in races and to break those exist doubt and question; it is still a lot of work and a long way to go.