Hong Kong's dressage and show-jumping community helped make the city a hot favourite to host the 2008 Olympics equestrian events by staging a successful event at the Beas River Country Club yesterday.
Although the competition was for local entries only, the event drew a lot of media attention.
Five television crews, journalists and photographers were on hand to catch the action.
They also asked the 88 competitors about their views of the Beijing Olympic organisers wanting Hong Kong to host the equestrian events.
Stuart Mitchell, equestrian manager with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: 'We don't normally get the media covering our events. People in Hong Kong don't really know what equestrian sports is all about. But the news that the Beijing Olympics equestrian events could be held in Hong Kong has generated a lot of interest, and this is great for our sport.'
Beijing Olympic organisers have cited the risk of equine disease and problems with quarantine regulations in the national capital as reasons for wanting to move the equestrian events to Hong Kong.