Chinese coaches teach children aged between nine and 12 to play polo at the Beijing Sunny Times Polo Club, the first polo club in China. [Photo / China Daily]

Chinese are showing an increasing interest in equestrian activities such as polo, say experts

BEIJING - Huang Shizhong has to drive three hours one way almost every weekend to take his daughter from their home in Tianjin to Beijing to satisfy the little girl's ambition of riding horses and playing polo.

His daughter, Huang Shoutong, started riding when she was 6 years old and her enthusiasm for equestrian sports has grown considerably. She has been a registered member of, and active participant in, Beijing Sunny Times Polo Club since 2007.

"I hope more and more Chinese people will develop an interest in playing polo," said Xia Yang, the club's president. Founded in 2004, it was the first professional polo club in China and is a member of the Chinese Equestrian Association. Located in Yanqing county, about a one-hour drive from downtown Beijing, it covers an area of 15.87 hectares, including an international-standard polo tournament field and self-contained business club.

Memberships start at 20,000 yuan ($3,056) for one person to enjoy 100 visits and go up to 150,000 yuan for three people a year.

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Xia refused to disclose how many members the club has, but said that the average annual growth in membership was between 200 and 300 percent from 2005 to 2010. He predicted there will be a significant increase this year as he plans to provide advanced custom-made services to members who have higher requirements for their leisure facilities. Other evidence also shows that the Chinese are becoming increasingly interested in riding horses and playing polo.

Figures from the China Horse Industry Association (CHIA), a government organization dedicated to promoting the country's equestrian industry, show that the number of horses imported into China increased from about 300 in 2005 to more than 2,000 in 2010.

Currently, there are around 500 centers for equestrian sports in China, including polo clubs and racing tracks. Cities they can be found in include Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.

A new polo club is scheduled to open in October - Shanghai Premier Club. It is run by Hua Huicong, the founder of Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club in Pinghu, Zhejiang province, which was established in 2006.

"We decided to open the Shanghai Premier Club because we found that after several years of operation at Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club, the skill gap between veteran polo players and newcomers is widening to the extent that it's not appropriate for them to play together any more," said Hua.

She added that the Shanghai Premier Club is aiming for 200 members through a strict selection mechanism with an individual lifelong membership fee of 1.2 million yuan.

"This is to ensure that all the members can enjoy the services and facilities here to the fullest," Hua said. "A strict selection mechanism guarantees that members' skills are fairly matched."

Nicknamed the "game of kings", polo is usually played by upper-class or rich people because it is very expensive.

Largest polo facility

Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club, developed by Hong Kong-listed developer Goldin Properties Holdings Ltd, is the largest polo facility by size in China. It was established in November last year and includes two international standard polo fields, 150 stables and a five-star hotel. Its lifelong membership ranges from 380,000 yuan for social members and 10 million yuan for patron owners - those who own a polo team.

Monte James, a 59-year-old American businessman, who came to Beijing to work several years ago, has been spending weekends at Beijing Sunny Times Polo Club for the past two years.

James is a polo fan and he plays quite well, having been associated with horses for more than 30 years. He was a professional race horse trainer in his youth.

James visited the polo club in Tianjin and found that the amenities there were more than he needed for his weekend polo. Other polo players who came to China told him they could not find companions to play with at Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club.

"Although the facilities and fields at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club are outstanding, the membership fees and costs are substantial. In comparison, 2,000 yuan will cover four chukkers (periods) at Beijing Sunny Times," James said, adding that each chukker lasts seven minutes.

He also said that the equipment and horses provided at Beijing Sunny Times would satisfy professional polo players but admitted that the service and food at the Tianjin club Snow Polo Tournament was really excellent last year.

"I don't think polo is a game just for the wealthy class, and this concept is detrimental to its prevalence and development in China," Xia said.

In the United States, riders have to own four to five horses if they want to play polo because one horse cannot play two chukkers successively. However, at Xia's club, all people need is to simply arrive and enough horses will be prepared, said James.

"I think Mr Xia is creating a great opportunity for beginners, for people to come to try to see if they like to take it up," James added. "He also creates a good environment for amateurs."

There are some potential risks developing alongside the fast growth of the equestrian industry. Playing polo is not without danger.

"You should learn to ride horses well and practice a lot so that you minimize the risks," James said.

More than 20 years ago he had a very bad fall from a horse and was seriously injured. He required two years of medical care and didn't play polo again until many years later when his son finished university.

At the time of the fall, his son was very young. James stopped playing polo because he realized the possible danger of the sport and felt more responsible for his family. "Any accident that happens while playing polo can be serious, so it's always most important for polo players to take good care of the horses and look after each other," he added.

In the history of polo, it is not unusual for polo players to suffer serious, and sometimes, fatal injuries, according to James.

Although Xia began to invest in the equine sector as early as 1998, he revealed that he hasn't made a profit yet.

"This is a long-term investment, and when the industry really becomes mature, that is the moment to make a big fortune for industry pioneers like me," Xia said.

Hua, from Shanghai Premier Club, said: "The equine sector is still in the investment period and I hope Chinese people will pay as much attention to polo as to football in five years."