The Formula One of equestrian events comes to Shanghai

For the first time ever Shanghai and China experienced the glamour and excitement of the 2014 Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT), the Formula One of international show jumping. Staged over three days at an arena next to the China Art Museum in the former World Expo site in Pudong New Area, this was the fourth stop of the 14-leg tour of the Longines competition which has grown from six events in 2006 to 14 events this year. Shanghai is one of the three new cities joining the competition this year alongside Antwerp and Paris.

More than 26,000 turned out over the three days to watch more than 30 of the world's best riders, men and women, and 60 thoroughbred horses compete for a share of the $1.1 million being offered in prize money. The Shanghai sector winner, Belgian rider Pieter Devos, eventually claimed a new watch, $363,000 and 40 international championship points.

Equestrian contests are famous and popular in Europe, but although there is a rich history of horse sports in China, the European form is little known here. It was not until 2008 that China entered an equestrian team in the Olympic Games.

Enthusiastic crowd

At the Pudong arena most of the 4,000 seats were taken and the crowd was enthusiastic, watching the riders guide their horses over complicated courses of hurdles and jumps and often racing the clock at the same time.

Some of the jumps stood 1.6 meters high or had elaborate designs and the spectators were completely involved, sighing in unison when a rider and horse knocked a jump bar and applauding enthusiastically when a contestant completed a round without a fault.

It is not a cheap sport for either competitors or spectators - ticket prices ranged from 590 yuan ($94) to 2,880 yuan.

One middle-aged onlooker surnamed Li said he had watched equestrian competitions on television but this was the first time he had been able to attend a live event. "It's the cooperation and coordination between the human and the animal that give this a special appeal for me."

The elegant powerful thoroughbred horses, each worth as much as 2 million euros ($2.7 million), are a big part of the attraction of this sport. Li said he loved to watch the horses. "They know when they do well and show how confident they are in the way they walk."

Another spectator, Yan Jinwen, said, "friends in Europe e-mailed me telling to go and see this."

Much of the appeal of this competition lies in the unexpected moments. When the acclaimed German rider Philipp Weishaupt's horse came to a jump decorated as one of Shanghai's shikumen (a traditional stone lane house), it came to a dead stop, backed off and refused to go any further. And when the popular Saudi Arabian Abdullah Al Sharbatly just clipped the final jump at the end of the grand prix every one seemingly sighed aloud in sympathy.

A sprinkling of children also seemed to enjoy the day out. One mother believing her 4-year-old daughter could not only enjoy the event but could learn things. "Show jumping can teach her some of the rules and she can learn the importance of communication between horse and rider."

A great lifestyle

The only Chinese rider taking part in the competition, 23-year-old John Zhuangzhuang Han, said he had been riding horses since he was a boy. "It gave me, as a child, a sense of responsibility. You have to wash and feed the horse by yourself. You have to learn to communicate with the horse. The sport gives people a good temperament even you don't continue riding later. Even if they don't take up competition riding I hope people try riding themselves. Working in the city during the week and riding horses at the weekend is a great lifestyle."

Many of the leading international riders sang the praises of Shanghai after the groundbreaking LGCT event, the first time they have competed in a Chinese mainland city.

"I think it's incredible. As a rider, it's a privilege to be here with our own horses. I know there's a lot of work been done for this over the past three years getting the breakthrough to modify the quarantine rules. I've never been to Shanghai before and it's really exciting to get the public involved and show them what is involved in the sport at this level. It's great that people can see us on our own horses - the best horses and the best riders in the world," said Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander. "As riders we are really impressed because we know how much work has gone into this show. For a first event, it's never easy."

Champion Pieter Devos agreed that it had been an excellent event. "I think the spectators were great. I'd like to see more events like this in China."

While Devos was the big winner in Shanghai with his mount Dream of India Greenfield, Edwina Tops-Alexander and her Old Chap Tame claimed the silver medal and continued to lead the overall ratings table. The bronze medal went to 60-year-old Michel Hecart from France with Pasha du Gue.