HKJC Supports WEVA Congress

[Wandering Eyes]

The biennial 15th World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA) Congress was held in Beijing on Apr. 22, with the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and jointly organized by the China Horse Industry Association. Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges addressed the delegates and explained the factors at the centre of Hong Kong racing’s success.

“The model of The Hong Kong Jockey Club is highly-regarded as one of world-class quality, consistency and integrity, and which has contributed significantly to community betterment,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges. “Given this Congress is held in China, and China is on its journey to developing a modern equine industry, I think the discussions here this week will be highly relevant. Fundamental to Hong Kong’s success are our capabilities and best practice approaches in racing management, which include the recruitment and training of top professionals, investment in state-of-the-art racecourse facilities, a strong commitment to horse welfare, and the rigorous monitoring of races and training of racehorses to ensure complete integrity.”

The HKJC will be applying best practices to the Conghua Training Centre (CTC) located near Guangzhou and opening in August of this year.

“With the support of mainland government agencies, the CTC will be the first world-class thoroughbred training centre in the Chinese mainland, and also the first world-class veterinary clinic, staffed by internationally-qualified talent,” Engelbrecht-Bresges continued. “In what was a groundbreaking development involving multiple levels of mainland government and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) itself, an Equine Disease Free Zone (EDFZ) was established in Conghua, which is the first large-scale and multi-purpose, internationally recognised permanent EDFZ in the Chinese mainland. As a result, horses in Conghua will be recognised worldwide as having the same high health status as the horse population in Hong Kong. By leveraging the development of the CTC, and particularly its EDFZ, the Club has developed a vision of how Hong Kong, given its status as a globally-recognised centre of excellence in equestrian sports and racing, can contribute to the development of the ‘equine value chain’ in the Chinese mainland, and the establishment of the Greater Bay Area as a worldwide centre of excellence for high-performing horses. The development can cover all aspects of the equine industry’s value chain, including competitions, horse welfare, talent training and development within the areas of stable management, veterinary and farrier care, as well as associated industries in horse movement services, feed, drugs, equipment, breeding, horse sales and auctions.”

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