Hong Kong Equestrian Federation Annual General Meeting

Hong Kong Equestrian Federation

香港馬術總會

Annual General Meeting (25th May 2009)

Training and Selection Sub-committee Chairman’s Report

 

The year 2008 was of course dominated by the hosting of the Beijing Olympic Equestrian

competitions in Hong Kong. As we all know this was executed superbly and Hong Kong

received wide acclaim for a faultless presentation.

 

2007/8

The highlight of the TSSC for the 2008 year was its involvement is the preparation and

selection of Hong Kong athletes for the Olympic Games. Unfortunately we did not manage

to qualify any competitors in dressage. On the other hand we were able to field a team of

three in the jumping with a fourth tragically unable to participate at the last minute.

As you all know the four riders were extensively funded by the HKJC to train and compete in Europe and it is sure we could not have fielded a team at all without this support.

In the Games all our riders acquitted themselves very well, with our local ‘star’ being Patrick Lam. Who would ever have imagined that we would see the Hong Kong flag in Shatin at an Olympic Games

 

2008/9

After the excitement of the Olympics this season has been relatively quiet in competition

terms. The highlight must be the success of our youthful all girls team (Gaelle Tong, Jasmine

Lai, and Jacqueline Lai) in the two star competition in Korea where they claimed second

place in the team rankings. On an individual basis we must congratulate Jennifer Chang on

being invited to compete in the World Cup Final competition in Las Vegas as a result for her

consistent results in the South-East Asian League. Unfortunately Jennifer was unable to

accept due to the happy coincidence of the imminent birth of her first child.

During the season we have experimented with some new names for our coaching program

which is subsidized by the LCSD. These experiments will continue as we strive to find

trainers who are most able to provide enduring benefit to our members.

 

Attached is a list of the international competitions attended and teams selections made during the 2008/2009 season.

This is my last time I will be present as Chairman of the TSSC and, indeed as a member of your Executive Committee. It has been a great pleasure to me to help the Federation through

sometimes turbulent times. Hong Kong now have a new era with a more professional

approach to international competition and our top riders funded to compete in Europe. With

the changes it is only appropriate that you are represented by committee members who are in

tune with the developments and have the vision and drive to carry them forward.

I would like to take this opportunity to very sincerely thank both my fellow committee

members and the HKEF staff, past and present for their kind patience and support, even

when I have been at my most disagreeable! It has been an honour to work with you all.

During the past years I have always strived to be impartial and to benefit our sport, and I

hope that on balance I have achieved something of both. In particular it has been a great

pleasure for me to help our Federation take part in the Seoul and Doha Asian Games, the

All-China Games, and ultimately at the Olympic Games.

If there is any legacy I hope it is the pool of talented young riders whom we have nurtured

over the years, some of whom have achieved a pinnacle and competed in the Olympic Games,

most of whom just gained great enjoyment from competing at a lower level, but all of whom

have benefited from the dedication, discipline, and caring which is needed to be a successful

rider.

In this regard I am concerned that we do not seem to be bringing on as many young

competitive riders as in former years. It is increasingly difficult for a young rider to find a

suitable horse either for livery or to borrow for competitions. These youngsters need the

chance to ride and compete as often as they can, that means they really need to have access to

more than one horse. So, if you have a horse please which is capable of competition at any

level, please consider ‘adopting’ a young rider by lending your horse for their training and

competition; it is a most rewarding experience.

 

Edwin McAuley,

Chairman, TSSC

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7th May, 2008 Special Olympic Qualifier in Hagen (GER)

Results: Kenneth Cheng – 1st (JC Can Do) and 3rd (Felton Lee) of 14 entries

(1.60m, MES)

Samantha Lam – 4th (JC Tresor) and 5th (Coco 112) of 14 entries

(1.60m, MES)

Patrick Lam – 8th (Urban) of 14 entries (1.60m, MES)

Jennifer Lee – 12th (Mr Burn) of 14 entries (1.60m. MES)

9th – 13th August, 2008 Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Team: Samantha Lam, Patrick Lam and Kenneth Cheng

Results: 15th of 16 teams (Team Event), Samantha Lam – 63rd of 77 entries,

Patrick Lam – 46th of 77 entries, Kenneth Cheng – 57th of 77 entries

(Individual Event)

17th November, 2008 FEI World Dressage Challenge

Results:

Preliminary - Kendall Lauren Kruger – 1st,

Kimberly Held – 2nd

and India Fleischer Ballard – 3rd

Elementary - Taylor Yeung – 1st,

Kendall Lauren Kruger – 2nd

and Toda Yumi – 3rd

Medium - Pippa Hattan – 1st, Helen Norton – 2nd

and Toda Yumi- 3^rd

30th November, 2008 FEI World Jumping Challenge 2008

Results:

Cat A - Tara Delaney – 1st

Cat B - Albert Wong – 1st, Pippa Hattan – 2nd and

Thomas Ho – 3rd

7th December, 2008 FEI Children’s International Jumping Competition 2008

Results: Cat B - Kendall Kruger – 1st

7th – 8th March, 2009 CSIO1* Tokyo (Borrowed Horses)

Team: JC Leung, Jennifer Lee and Jacqueline Lai

Results: 4th of 8 teams (Team Event), Jacqueline Lai - 11th of 15 entries

(Individual Event)

16th – 20th April, 2009 CSI2* Seoul (Borrowed Horsse)

Team: Gaelle Tong, Jasmine Lai and Jacqueline Lai

Results: 2nd of 7 teams (Team Event), Jasmine Lai - 4th of 12 entries

(Individual Event)

12th & 19th April, 2009 FEI World Jumping Challenge 2009

Results:

Cat A – JC Leung – 1st , Nicole Pearson – 2nd

Cat B – JC Leung – 1st, Albert Wong – 2nd and Kenneth Chan – 3rd

 

 

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