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Barclay Crawford

Questions over purchase of German horses for Games parade
Two expensive German horses originally brought to Hong Kong to draw an antique carriage carrying the Olympic torch  are  going to be sent  back to Europe after a string of ugly incidents with equestrian staff.
An investigation has been launched by the Hong Kong Jockey Club after equestrian officer Ng Ting-yee, 50,  the brother of prominent trainer Gary Ng Ting-keung,  suffered a serious neck injury after being thrown from a carriage with two other people on December 2. He is still in hospital.
The horses had initially been brought to Hong Kong to pull a carriage with  Jockey Club chairman John Chan Cho-chak  carrying the Olympic torch on May 2 in Sha Tin.
But one of the horses became upset by spectator noise,  slipped and frightened another horse, which kicked the carriage.
Mr Chan chose instead to ride in an electric golf cart when he carried the Olympic torch.
While the circumstances of the December 2 incident are still under investigation, a decision has been made to send the horses back to Germany.
They leave on January 9.
'We are deeply concerned about the incident and especially about the injuries sustained by Mr Ng Ting-yee,' a  club spokeswoman said.
'We are doing everything possible to help him and his family.'
The Sunday Morning Post has learned that the horses were involved in  at least two other incidents before  December 2.
Another male Jockey Club employee had been sent to hospital with broken fingers and a female  employee had suffered a fractured wrist.
Stuart Mitchell,  who recently resigned after six years as equestrian manager at Beas River to work in Malaysia, said an independent investigation was needed into why the horses remained  more than six months after the initial incident with the torch carriage.
Members of the Beas River equestrian community have asked why the horses were kept and why they were bought in the first place, given that there were other horses in Hong Kong  that could have been used for the torch relay.
Mr Mitchell said the  steeds were 'warm-blooded' sports horses, better suited for sport or 'four-in-hand' carriages rather than the 'big, old, quiet draught horses' normally associated with pulling carriages.
'It's unfortunate and upsetting that this has happened. They  are sports horses and ...  require years of training and experience before they are suitable for ceremonial roles,' he said.
However, the Jockey Club said the animals  were suitable and had received special training for the large crowd that had been expected at the torch relay.
The club said  German national trainer Eckhard Meier   recommended the horses  and an experienced  carriage driver and groom in Germany to work with them  before the  relay.
The spokeswoman said the original German trainer and another  groom had returned to Hong Kong two weeks before the incident and reported no irregular behaviour.
'Horses are by nature sensitive animals and everyone involved in working with horses appreciates and understands the associated risks,' the spokeswoman said.



Club to return horses after staff badly injured