CHENGDU: The four-day 2011 China Equestrian Festival kicked off in the Wenjiang district of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, on Friday.

After the grand opening ceremony, an eye-catching demonstration racing was held yesterday morning. In the afternoon, the horse ball demonstration and barrel racing (group) tryout and final were held.

The team Beijing Yihe Stable won the championship of the barrel racing final in 49.15 seconds.

During the next three days, the FEI show-jumping challenge (China zone) and barrel racing (individual) will be held in succession, organizers say.

In addition to competitions, a food festival is being held in Wenjiang as part of the 2011 China Equestrian Festival.

The food festival with delicacies from different parts of the world attracted nearly 10,000 people on Thursday when it opened.

The festival which will last till September 25 is also a good opportunity to showcade the local cate in Wenjiang and boost the development of the district food industry, says Zou Yongcheng, chief of the district bureau of commerce.