Tokyo Olympics: Thomas Heffernan Ho set to make eventing history for Hong Kong after sealing place in Games
- The 32-year-old’s performances over the past few years, including earning Hong Kong a qualifying spot in the Olympics, made him the clear choice for Tokyo
- Ho will partner veteran horse Tayberry at the eventing competition, where he will come up against friend and China rider Alex Hua Tian
Thomas Heffernan Ho could finally breathe a sigh of relief on Friday after he was confirmed as the first equestrian rider to represent Hong Kong in eventing at the Olympic Games.
“It has been a long journey,” Ho, who is currently in the UK, told the Post. “Never give up on your dreams, even when times get difficult and there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world. Be passionate about everything you do in life. There were times with the Covid-19 pandemic you weren’t sure if you had any competitions and there was a lot of uncertainty so it’s great that it is all confirmed and we can prepare for the Olympics.”
Ho and Tayberry were forced to qualify twice for the Olympics after the 2020 Tokyo Games were initially delayed from last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their 12th place at the Sopot CC14*-S show in Poland in September ensured a place for Hong Kong in the Tokyo eventing competition. Although he potentially faced competition from other Hong Kong riders for the Olympics spot, the HKEF went with Ho because of his overall performances during the past few years.
“Thomas is the only eventing rider in Hong Kong achieving the qualifying results for the Olympics eventing individual competition, and he certainly demonstrated his ability to represent Hong Kong for this event,” the HKEF said in a statement.