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Patrick Lam tied for first spot in showjumping preliminary
Hong Kong rider Patrick Lam shocked the equestrian world  and a partisan crowd at a packed Sha Tin venue last night with a flawless display on his horse Urban in the preliminary round of the showjumping competition.
His  performance capped a superb day for Hong Kong, whose organisation of the equestrian events came in for praise from top officials of the sport's world governing body yesterday.
Minutes after Hong Kong had received a royal seal of approval from  International Equestrian Federation  (FEI) president Princess Haya bint al-Hussein  for the organisation of the equestrian events, Lam jumped a clear round to be tied in first spot at the end of the individual qualifiers.
'This is just amazing. It is my dream come true,' said an ecstatic Lam, revelling in rubbing shoulders with some of the best riders in the world at the top of the leader board after round one.
'I came here to gain experience and I got more than I bargained for. I have never had this feeling in my life,' Lam said.
'When I went into the arena, the crowd gave me a wonderful reception. I was electrified. I still am,'  he said. 'I expected to have two or three knockdowns. But a clear round is the best dream I've ever imagined.
'I came here with no expectations. I came here for nothing other than to enjoy taking part in the Olympics. It is great to still be in the competition.'
Lam cleared all 12 obstacles and 15 fences without a single fault,  and also finished the course well inside the 88 seconds permitted. It was the icing on the cake for organisers.
'We are lucky to have these venues, which  have given us the opportunity to showcase our sport,' said Princess Haya. 'We are very grateful to our partners,  the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games  and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, for providing these facilities.'
However, a complicated format - which even had organisers struggling to explain the process - will result in Lam's efforts counting for nothing more than a boost to his confidence.
'While it will definitely do his confidence a world of good, the result doesn't really mean a lot as far as the bigger picture is concerned. Tonight's results just decide the starting order for Sunday's first round in the team competition, which also doubles up as the individual qualifiers,' an FEI official said.
So although Hongkongers Samantha Lam  (no relation) and Kenneth Cheng Man-kit  could not quite match Lam's performance, they too will begin tomorrow.
Samantha Lam on Tresor knocked two fences down and also acquired time penalties. A similar fate befell Cheng on Can Do.
Joining Lam at the top was a bunch of riders, including American gold medallist McLain Ward.



HK rider dazzles crowd with flawless performance