Silver lining in saddle
Hong Kong switched to 'Freeze' control as they smoothly grabbed the silver medal at the showjumping KRA Cup CSIO held at the Seoul Olympic Equestrian Park last weekend.
The local team of Jennifer Lee (above taking a jump on Freezing), Tara Delaney and Tang Pak-shing put in a strong performance to finish runners-up to hosts South Korea. It was a commendable effort as the local team had to use Korea's horses, and not their own, as they negotiated two rounds each with 15 jumps up to 1.2 metres in height.
'Riding Korea's horses rather than our own adds a new dimension to competition,' said Lee. 'It's a real test of a rider's skill.'
Hong Kong led after the first round and finished just five points behind South Korea.
They beat traditional Asian powerhouse Japan, and also China who finished with the bronze medal. A total of nine countries took part in the meet.
'We came so close to beating South Korea on their home turf. This and beating Japan is a real achievement,' said Gerald Kuh, a member of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation's executive committee who attended the meet.
