Speeches

The Asia Horse Week Conference &
The Longines Masters of Hong Kong Equestrian Events
Speech by Professor CHAN Siu Chee, Sophia
Secretary for Food and Health
9 February 2018 (Fri)

Mr AMEEUW (a-mur) [Mr Christophe AMEEUW, CEO of the Asia Horse Week],
Simon [Dr Simon IP, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)],
Mr LE MASNE (lur-maan) DE CHERMONT (dur sher-mon) [Mr. Raphael LE MASNE DE CHERMONT, Chairman of the Asia Horse Week],
Mr HUANG [Mr Jack HUANG, Regional Group VIII Chairman of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)],
Mr HARING [Mr Hanfried HARING, President of the European Equestrian Federation],
Winfried [Mr Winfried ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES, CEO of HKJC],
distinguished speakers and guests, ladies, and gentlemen,

 

1. Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to join you today for the Inaugural Asia Horse Week Conference. My warm welcome to you all, especially those who have travelled from across Asia and around the world.
2. Over the years, we have maintained a robust quarantine regime that enables high health high performance horses from all over the world to participate in high level competitions in Hong Kong. We are recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as being free from the vast majority of serious infectious equine diseases. Without such a safe environment for international horses it would not be possible for Hong Kong to stage the equestrian events of the Olympics and Paralympics in 2008, as well as the prestigious Longines Masters of Hong Kong, the latter is already in its sixth year and counting. For this year’s Longines Masters, we have over 50 competition horses with riders coming from 13 places.
3. To scale new heights in international horse racing and equestrian sports, Hong Kong sees the need to enhance the training of its racing stock. A major development on this front is Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Conghua Training Centre (the Centre). By taking the opportunity of the Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone (EDFZ), the Hong Kong Jockey Club has been developing a state-of-the-art training, stabling and horse care facility that spans 150 hectare in area in Conghua, Guangzhou. Last December, during the International Conference on Equine Disease Free Zone jointly organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR Government, four cooperation agreements were signed with the relevant Mainland authorities, to facilitate the operation of the Centre with in the Equine Disease Free Zone. The Centre will be officially opened in the third quarter this year.
   
   Rest assured that we will not compromise our equine management and quarantine standards. Nothing is more important than a steadfast insistence on maintaining our equine disease free status. This status is fundamental to Hong Kong’s continued ability to host high level and prestigious racing and equestrian events. In partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the HKSAR Government would spare no efforts to forestall any jeopardy to the health status of participating horses from around the world.
4. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Hong Kong Jockey Club as well as other stakeholders to uphold Hong Kong’s “high health high performance horse status”. I wish the event and conference a resounding success, and wish you all an enjoyable evening. Thank you.