The China Horse Fair 2011 (CHF 2011) is on target to be the largest and most international so far. Strategically located in Beijing, CHF 2011 has already attracted suppliers fromthe Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland, Germany, USA and Australia, who are keen to market and sell their products and expertise to China’s emerging market of horse sports and leisure professionals. Immediately after CHF 2011, the 2011 China League of the FEI World Cup jumping competitionwill be organised in Beijing (October 15-16). This year it will feature three CSI* events, held in August, September and October. The competition is expected to bring together Chinese and international riders as well as many horse sports enthusiasts in China. (www.chinahorsefair.com.cn www.fei.org) With the CHF 2011 and 2011 China League of the FEI World Cup jumping competitionrunning consecutively in Beijing, Sonia Ou Yang, marketing manager for the CHF 2011, commented “the horse industry will be presented with a unique platform to learn, network & conduct business. She went onto say “If you are in the horse industry, there will be no better place to be than in Beijing, where the cream of the industry will be”. Events such as the Equestrian Beijing International Grand Prix which took place recently in the Bird’s Nest Olympic venue, and the forthcoming China League of the FEI World Cup Jumping, demonstrate China’s commitment to becoming a major international force in equestrian sports. With China’s national sports bodies keen to be competitive on the international equestrian stage, this in turn is expected to provide substantial sales opportunities for foreign suppliers as investment is increased in high quality stock, training facilities and services. For example, most competition horses are already sourced from overseas with last year’s demand put at more than 2,000. Horses from Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the US, Australia, New zealand and Japan were increasingly imported into China. The Chinese market imported more than 130 Japanese horses last year, while the German horses are loved by Chinese after the usage in the 2011 Equestrian Beijing International Grand Prix. This opportunity has not gone un-noticed by the top global equestrian suppliers many of whom will be exhibiting at the CHF 2011 including KWPN-Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands, UNIC (France), Henswoude (Netherlands), VDL Sporthorses (Netherlands) and, YEGUADA LA PALOMA (Spain), as well as new exhibitors such as Dutch Premium Horses (Netherlands), SBH-Horses (Netherlands) and, Royal Oaks Farm (US). There is a diverse range of products on offer from the international exhibitors including veterinary and equine healthcare and welfare products, saddleries, transportation services and rider training programmes, but it is the high end horse breeders that are again most in evidence. Since February 2012 a horse trader in Beijing called Yanlong International Equestrian Co.,LTD has bread Spanish horses in China. The Spanish horses brought by Yanlong in Janurary, April and June this year caught the attention from Chinese buyers, so Yanlong is planning to import more in November. The total number of the imported Spanish horses by Yanlong will achieve 50 in 2011, and the average price of these horses is RMB 500,000. As for the Australian and New Zealand horses, at the beginning of this year, Metropolitan Polo Club which is based in Tianjin brought 70 horses from Australia and New Zealand to increase the amount of horses in the club. The above facts highlight that China is the world’s most exciting ‘hot spots’ for international suppliers! |
