Top showjumpers Patrick and Samantha Lam have their fingers crossed that the Hong Kong Jockey Club will extend its multi-million-dollar sponsorship of the equestrian team, insisting that participation at top-level meetings in Europe is inextricably tied to funding from the club.
In December 2008, the Jockey Club donated HK$50 million to create a HKJC Equestrian team which included the two Lams (who are not related), Kenneth Cheng Man-kit and Jacqueline Lai. The funding was for a four-year period.
'The Hong Kong Jockey Club funding is essential to be able to start at high-level shows in Europe and concentrate on my training,' Europe-based Patrick Lam said. 'I hope they continue as it is very important.'
Soloman Lam, the father of Samantha, said: 'Samantha is in the same boat as the other sponsored riders, which is that she benefits from the sponsorship to train and develop in Europe which is the hotbed of the equestrian sports. Without the sponsorship, she would not be able to afford this level of competitiveness.'
The Jockey Club, which set up the funding to create an Olympic legacy - the equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Games were held in Hong Kong - is in talks with the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation (HKEF) on funding.
'Discussions with the Jockey Club are ongoing, and I believe we should come to a conclusion soon,' HKEF vice-president Michael Lee said.
Lee refused to give details of whether the same riders would be sponsored again or if the programme would be expanded to include more contestants.