On the afternoon of June 9, the three-day "Exciting Hangzhou" 2022 Tonglu Equestrian Triathlon Invitational Tournament came to an end. As the competition venue of the Hangzhou Asian Games, this is the first time that Zhejiang Tonglu Equestrian Center has "opened its doors to welcome guests" since it was completed at the beginning of this year. It not only allows local people to appreciate the charm of equestrianism, but also makes Tonglu more well-known and makes everyone look forward to the arrival of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

A total of about 1,600 spectators came to watch this game, which was an event of the "Exciting Hangzhou" series with the largest audience after the announcement of postponing Hangzhou Asian Games.

Let the domestic top players enjoy the wonderful game

Affected by the pandemic prevention and control, the riders and horses participating in this tournament were greatly restricted, but the organizers still invited Olympian Zhang Xingjia, National Games champion Darima, Zhejiang famous player Chen Chongquan and other domestic first-class players. Ningbo also overcame many difficulties and provided 10 horses for the event.

Zhang Xingjia is a native of Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. He represented the Chinese team in the Tokyo Olympics. At only 23 years old, he has already participated in many domestic and foreign competitions and is very experienced. This time in the equestrian venue of Hangzhou Asian Games, he still experienced something different.

"I am very happy to be able to participate in the competition in Tonglu. The construction of the entire venue, including the competition venue and stables, is very good." The superior facilities also allow top players like Zhang Xingjia to exert their greatest strength. Especially in the cross-country race on the second competition day, the coordination with the horses was seamless. He said bluntly: "This track is very good, and I performed to the extreme level."

Ningbo athlete Chen Chongquan is also an experienced rider. In his opinion, Tonglu Equestrian Center is well equipped and provides a very good racing experience, and the surrounding scenery is pleasant, which not only makes the riders but also the horses feel very comfortable.

In the eyes of many people, the invitational tournament which is "going through the motions" allows the contestants to experience the feeling of a world competition. Tonglu Equestrian Center, which has reached the Olympic level, has contributed greatly.

Let equestrian technical representatives experience the top venue

Previously, in the "Exciting Hangzhou" series of competitions held at Hangzhou Asian Games competition venues, it was not often that an official from a continental-level association was present. At the Invitational Equestrian Games, Asian Equestrian Federation Liaison Officer Ye Yicheng came as a special guest to watch the event, but he also had another role to play - as the technical representative for the dressage events at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

"I have seen so many venues and I must say that it (Tonglu Equestrian Centre) is the most beautiful one." Ye Yicheng added that in addition to the perfect facilities, the venue itself is situated in a location with a great natural landscape and the combination of the two is perfect and harmonious.

As we all know, equestrianism is a competition where people and horses work together. In Ye Yicheng's opinion, to some extent, what is more important than the beauty of the arena is that the horses are the main focus, and taking good care of them is the only way to truly reflect the essential quality of an equestrian arena. In fact, in order to "prepare" for this Invitational Race, the horses had to been in quarantine for up to 45 days. If they were not well taken care of by the staff, how could they have appeared on the arena alive and well, and presented wonderful performances to the audience together with the riders? 

"The main body of equestrian sports is horses, and the venue perfectly reflects this." Ye Yicheng said Tonglu Equestrian Center is like a horse theme park with many horse decorations, and even the buildings themselves are in the shape of the Chinese character of horse "马," which also showcases the characteristics of the venue.

In the past few days, Ye Yicheng, as a spectator, experienced not only the competition, but also the beauty of Tonglu. "Surrounded by mountains and shrouded in fog, it's like an ink wash painting. Watching equestrian sports in such an environment is a unique experience, and it's definitely one of the best." He said, "From the venue to the reception, I really feel the enthusiasm and expectation of Tonglu people for the preparation of Hangzhou Asian Games."

Let more citizens feel the charm of equestrian

At the beginning of May, Hangzhou Asian Games was announced to be postponed. This invitational tournament is the first "Exciting Hangzhou" series to be opened after that. About 1,600 people walked into Tonglu Equestrian Center to witness the rapid development of their hometown and meanwhile feel the charm of equestrian on their doorstep. 

"I seldom saw equestrian competitions on TV before, and it was very enjoyable to watch them live." Like the vast majority of the audience, this was the first time Mr. Li walked into Tonglu Equestrian Center. "Since the venue was first built, I've been looking forward to being able to watch games here, but I didn't expect it to come true before the Asian Games." He said, "I'm very proud to have such a grand venue in front of my house. After the game, I look forward to Hangzhou Asian Games even more, and I will definitely come again."

Considering that most of the spectators were watching the equestrian competitions for the first time, the organizers had prepared special instructions for spectators and also introduced the etiquette for watching the competition on the spot. For example, to avoid frightening the horses, flash photography was not allowed during the competition, and the audience could only applaud after completing each round. Mr Li said that this was the first time he knew these rules and felt that equestrianism was indeed a gentleman's sport.

Seeing the riders riding the horses over the obstacles again and again, a boy of about five or six years old at the scene couldn't hold back his excitement. He pointed to the field and said to his father, "I want to ride a horse in the future!" Maybe, he may not be able to become a professional rider in the future, but at this moment, the seed of an equestrian dream has been planted.

According to relevant statistics, in recent years, among the people engaged in equestrian sports in China, the proportion of young people has increased from 30% in the past to 70%. Equestrian sports play an important role in promoting the growth and noble character of young people, and this has become a general consensus of the society. 

Let Tonglu promote the development of equestrian in China

From the first equestrian competition in Beijing Olympics to finishing 9th in the team competition at the Tokyo Olympics, Chinese equestrianism has been making history in the past ten years. Following the Chinese team's completion of the stage goal of full participation in Hangzhou Asian Games in April this year, the first Asian Games equestrian gold medal in Tonglu will become the top priority of the Chinese equestrian team.

The significance of Tonglu Equestrian Center is not limited to competitive sports. If the venue can be fully utilized after the Asian Games, the local equestrian industry will have a great prospect, boosting the development of Chinese equestrianism.

Tonglu Equestrian Center is one of the few equestrian venues in China that can hold equestrian eventing. Zhong Guowei, Vice Chairman of the Asian Equestrian Federation and Secretary General of the China Equestrian Association, said: "The construction standards and grades of the Asian Games equestrian venue in Tonglu can be said to be at the top level both at home and abroad. It has certain advantages in hosting equestrian events in the next few years or more than a decade." In his view, the organization of equestrian events is the foundation and core of the use of the Asian Games venue after the games and great efforts can be made in "equestrian + events, Equestrian + training, equestrian + culture and tourism, and equestrian + business travel" and other aspects. 

For example, international competitions can be held to attract more top foreign players to Tonglu to participate in competitions. Be in line with Europe and the world and let more people truly understand equestrianism and the charm of the sport. Zhong Guowei said that the gap between China's equestrian sports and the world level is in all aspects, including the breeding of horses and the level of veterinarians. In Europe, these have already formed a set of quite mature and perfect industrial chains, and it is impossible to catch up with such a gap in a short time. But by holding top-level events, we can learn the most advanced equestrian technology and the latest equestrian concepts and It's a rare opportunity to broaden our horizons.

Complementarily, as the most beautiful county in China, Tonglu will also go global because of top-level events and activities. It is known to all that the climax of the equestrian competition is when the horses jump over, and all the cameras will focus on that. Each time, the painted patterns on the barriers on both sides of the obstacles will be displayed in front of the world, which is undoubtedly a good opportunity to promote Tonglu and Hangzhou. In this invitational tournament, Tonglu painted Tonglu paper-cutting, Yaolin Wonderland, Leifeng Pagoda and She town culture. 

Tonglu will become a new starting point for the development of Chinese equestrianism.