Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club addressed delegates of the 15th World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA) Congress in Beijing today (22 April). In his speech he outlined the Club’s long-term support for equine sports and horse welfare.

Held biennially, the WEVA Congress is the world’s most authoritative professional equine veterinary conference. With the Club’s support, it is being held in the Chinese mainland for the first time and jointly organised by the China Horse Industry Association and WEVA.

Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges explained the key features that are at the heart of the success of Hong Kong racing. “The model of The Hong Kong Jockey Club is highly-regarded as one of world-class quality, consistency and integrity, and which has contributed significantly to community betterment. Given this Congress is held in China, and China is on its journey to developing a modern equine industry, I think the discussions here this week will be highly relevant.”

“Fundamental to Hong Kong’s success are our capabilities and best practice approaches in racing management, which include the recruitment and training of top professionals, investment in state-of-the-art racecourse facilities, a strong commitment to horse welfare, and the rigorous monitoring of races and training of racehorses to ensure complete integrity,” said Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges also explained how the Club will apply best practices at its new Conghua Training Centre (CTC), located just outside Guangzhou and due to open in August this year.

“With the support of mainland government agencies, the CTC will be the first world-class thoroughbred training centre in the Chinese mainland, and also the first world-class veterinary clinic, staffed by internationally-qualified talent. In what was a groundbreaking development involving multiple levels of mainland government and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) itself, an Equine Disease Free Zone (EDFZ) was established in Conghua, which is the first large-scale and multi-purpose, internationally recognised permanent EDFZ in the Chinese mainland. As a result, horses in Conghua will be recognised world-wide as having the same high health status as the horse population in Hong Kong.”

“By leveraging the development of the CTC, and particularly its EDFZ, the Club has developed a vision of how Hong Kong, given its status as a globally-recognised centre of excellence in equestrian sports and racing, can contribute to the development of the ‘equine value chain’ in the Chinese mainland, and the establishment of the Greater Bay Area as a world-wide centre of excellence for high-performing horses.”

“The development can cover all aspects of the equine industry’s value chain, including competitions, horse welfare, talent training and development within the areas of stable management, veterinary and farrier care, as well as associated industries in horse movement services, feed, drugs, equipment, breeding, horse sales and auctions.”

Over the years, the Club has provided significant support for the development of equine sports and equine veterinary care in the Chinese mainland. For the WEVA Congress the Club is providing sponsorship and assisting with organisational logistics. The Club’s Head of Veterinary Clinical Services, Dr Christopher Riggs, is a Board Member of the WEVA and has helped with the design of the programme and with the invitation of international speakers.

Senior members of the Club’s management are also taking part in the Congress. In today’s meeting, Mr Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing addressed the role of integrity in racing; Dr Brian Stewart, Head of Veterinary Regulation and Biosecurity Policy discussed the role of veterinary regulation; Head of Racing Capital Projects, Mr John Ridley spoke on racetrack design, safety and consistency; and Dr Terence Wan, the Club’s Head of Racing Laboratory, reviewed the considerations necessary when establishing a drug testing laboratory. Dr Christopher Riggs chaired the afternoon session covering a variety of topics associated with equine health.