Recently, there was a signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Irish Horse Board (IHB) and the China Horse Industry Association (CHIA) at an event at the Irish embassy in Beijing. IHB, which represents some 15,000 stakeholders, will be providing strategic advice to China on its equine development plan and creating new opportunities for the Irish industry in China. The event was well attended by officials from both sides and clearly there is already a strong and flourishing relationship and recognition of Irish thoroughbreds by Chinese buyers.
On the same week as the event was taking place, 75 Irish horses arrived in China. This year a lot of top horses have been imported into China, as stables aim for dressage and upcoming national games. Education is needed in China to ensure that buyers know that Irish horses offer very high value for money in comparison to European competitors, which are traditionally more favoured.
The showcase at the embassy reception was an ambitious project being pioneered by Jimmy Quinn from Cappa Stud in Co Galway to have an all-in Irish hotel and luxury experience bringing world-class hospitality, shopping and an equine school together for Chinese consumers to taste a bit of Kildare Village on the outskirts of one of their major metropolises. The timing for the project either couldn’t be worse due to the slowing Chinese economy, or it couldn’t be better, as the trends for improving lifestyle could spark renewed interest in horses.
Before we turn to the equine market in China, let’s think about China’s move away from golf and towards winter sports. Golf has been brandished as being bad for the environment, laced with corruption and a bourgeois sport not to be encouraged. The number of clubs in China has halved in the past decade. The irony may not be lost that China’s lost golf decade has led to the emergence of some amazing players who are atop of the global world rankings.
In contrast, China’s foray into winter sports, which only began in earnest a decade ago has led to huge numbers of ski slopes being built, hosting of the Winter Olympics outside Beijing and winter sports being seen as a great outlet for Chinese youth. Weekends on the slopes has become a common pursuit for the middle class in just a few short years.
Currently, the equine market feels closer to that of the fate of golf rather than winter sports, but perhaps in the coming years the increasing focus on animal welfare and the benefits of showjumping for families and children can become a boon for Irish entrepreneurs like Jimmy Quinn. Showjumping and keeping horses in China still largely remains the business of the ultra-wealthy and has not filtered down into the broader middle class in the same way as winter sports, the sector is growing quickly due to that huge population base. The overall equine industry in China still lacks structure due to gambling being illegal.
Many of the equine clubs across the country boast good genetics but often lack the veterinarian skills required to be able to deliver on this. These are both pain points for exporters but also opportunities for education and collaboration. Another pain point in China is that riders can only jump 120cm so the value of the high quality horses cannot be fully realised by the jockeys.
Whether in a few years we will be able to boast of a major Irish-backed, equine-themed luxury outlet will depend on the vision of the Irish team driving this forward. If the policy winds blow in the right direction, this could feasibly be a great showcase for the Irish equine industry while also being a focal point for Ireland and its aspiration to attract more tourists from China into the future. I for one, am hopeful that Jimmy and his team will get a win for Ireland in China.
Recently, there was a signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Irish Horse Board (IHB) and the China Horse Industry Association (CHIA) at an event at the Irish embassy in Beijing. IHB, which represents some 15,000 stakeholders, will be providing strategic advice to China on its equine development plan and creating new opportunities for the Irish industry in China. The event was well attended by officials from both sides and clearly there is already a strong and flourishing relationship and recognition of Irish thoroughbreds by Chinese buyers.
On the same week as the event was taking place, 75 Irish horses arrived in China. This year a lot of top horses have been imported into China, as stables aim for dressage and upcoming national games. Education is needed in China to ensure that buyers know that Irish horses offer very high value for money in comparison to European competitors, which are traditionally more favoured.
The showcase at the embassy reception was an ambitious project being pioneered by Jimmy Quinn from Cappa Stud in Co Galway to have an all-in Irish hotel and luxury experience bringing world-class hospitality, shopping and an equine school together for Chinese consumers to taste a bit of Kildare Village on the outskirts of one of their major metropolises. The timing for the project either couldn’t be worse due to the slowing Chinese economy, or it couldn’t be better, as the trends for improving lifestyle could spark renewed interest in horses.
Before we turn to the equine market in China, let’s think about China’s move away from golf and towards winter sports. Golf has been brandished as being bad for the environment, laced with corruption and a bourgeois sport not to be encouraged. The number of clubs in China has halved in the past decade. The irony may not be lost that China’s lost golf decade has led to the emergence of some amazing players who are atop of the global world rankings.
In contrast, China’s foray into winter sports, which only began in earnest a decade ago has led to huge numbers of ski slopes being built, hosting of the Winter Olympics outside Beijing and winter sports being seen as a great outlet for Chinese youth. Weekends on the slopes has become a common pursuit for the middle class in just a few short years.
Currently, the equine market feels closer to that of the fate of golf rather than winter sports, but perhaps in the coming years the increasing focus on animal welfare and the benefits of showjumping for families and children can become a boon for Irish entrepreneurs like Jimmy Quinn. Showjumping and keeping horses in China still largely remains the business of the ultra-wealthy and has not filtered down into the broader middle class in the same way as winter sports, the sector is growing quickly due to that huge population base. The overall equine industry in China still lacks structure due to gambling being illegal.
Many of the equine clubs across the country boast good genetics but often lack the veterinarian skills required to be able to deliver on this. These are both pain points for exporters but also opportunities for education and collaboration. Another pain point in China is that riders can only jump 120cm so the value of the high quality horses cannot be fully realised by the jockeys.
Whether in a few years we will be able to boast of a major Irish-backed, equine-themed luxury outlet will depend on the vision of the Irish team driving this forward. If the policy winds blow in the right direction, this could feasibly be a great showcase for the Irish equine industry while also being a focal point for Ireland and its aspiration to attract more tourists from China into the future. I for one, am hopeful that Jimmy and his team will get a win for Ireland in China.
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