China's Highest-level Equestrian Tournament Concluded

BEIJING, Oct. 7, 2011 -- The 2011 Chinese National Equestrian Jumping Championships concluded in Beijing on Thursday, with each champion being awarded one Baojun car.

Sponsored by the China Equestrian Association (CEA), the annual meet is known as the highest-level official equestrian tournament in China, according to the event organizer.

Partnering with SGMW, a Shanghai-based automobile company, the CEA initiated special awards for the tournament winners — group and individual champions were awarded with one Baojun car, respectively.

"China has a rich history of horse riding, but until very recently has horse racing become increasingly prevalent among the Chinese upper classes, people with large amounts of disposable income," a CEA official told this journalist.

"In recent years, China has recruited a large number of foreign coaches and our nation has seen marked improvement in performance in competitive equestrian."

(This is a reprint from People's Daily Online of the Oct 8, 2011 edition.)

2011 Equestrian Jumping Championships

The scene of the 2011 Chinese National Equestrian Jumping Championships, the highest-level official equestrian tournament in China. (People's Daily Online Photo/Zhenyu Li)

2011 Equestrian Jumping Championships

The scene of the 2011 Chinese National Equestrian Jumping Championships, the highest-level official equestrian tournament in China. (People's Daily Online Photo/Zhenyu Li)

2011 Equestrian Jumping Championships

The scene of the 2011 Chinese National Equestrian Jumping Championships. (People's Daily Online Photo/Zhenyu Li)

2011 Equestrian Jumping Championships

The scene of the 2011 Chinese National Equestrian Jumping Championships. (People's Daily Online Photo/Zhenyu Li)