THEIR flanks are wet with sweat, nostrils flaring and eyes alert to the flying sods of earth as they charge down the track. They have been bred for one purpose - to gallop faster than their rivals, so owners, trainers, jockeys and punters might reap the rewards and glory of their efforts.
Many have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so why is a nervous teenager sending a thoroughbred over jumps and turning it around in ever-decreasing circles to the exasperated shouts of a riding instructor? After satisfying the racing world, these animals learn that it's not the only game. They are retrained to walk, canter, gallop, jump and basically do all the things the average horse does. 'They learn to become a normal horse again,' says Hong Kong Pony Club district commissioner Nick Rogers.
At the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Beas River Country Club at Sheung Shui in the New Territories, these former top gallopers are used to teach children how to ride.
Around 100 horses are retired from Hong Kong's racetracks each year. The lucky ones, a little over half, get to spend their 'retirement' in the beautiful surroundings of the Jockey Club's expansive club at the foot of the hills in the New Territories.
The Beas River stable shelters around 240 horses, with the rest of the complex made up of riding trails, sand arena, paddocks, tennis courts, swimming pools, golf course, chalets and staff accommodation.
Around 120 other horses are scattered around the Jockey Club's other stables in Pokfulam, Tuen Mun and Lei Yue Mun, and there are plans for other racehorses to be sent to riding schools in Beijing and Shanghai.
