The 2019 China Anping International Equestrian Endurance Race included three events: the FEI one-star 80-kilometer endurance race, the 80-kilometer qualifying race, and the 40-kilometer qualifying race. All registering entities, athletes, and horses had to complete their 2019 membership registration and horse registration via the Chinese Equestrian Association’s big data platform before 12:00 PM on November 6th, 2019. There were no gender restrictions for participants, but they had to be at least 14 years old, in good health, and meet the qualification standards for the FEI one-star endurance race (except for the qualifying races)—horses competing in the one-star event had to be at least 6 years old (born in or before 2013). For the 40-kilometer and 80-kilometer qualifying races, horses needed to be at least 5 years old (born in or before 2014). All competing horses were required to have a passport issued by the Chinese Equestrian Association and undergo pre-race inspection according to regulations.
This China Anping International Equestrian Endurance Race featured three competition categories: the FEI one-star 80-kilometer endurance race, the 80-kilometer qualifying race, and the 40-kilometer qualifying race. All participating organizations, athletes, and horses had to complete 2019 membership registration and horse registration through the Chinese Equestrian Association’s big data platform before 12:00 PM on November 6th, 2019. Participants could be of any gender, but had to be at least 14 years old, in good health, and meet the qualification criteria for international one-star equestrian endurance events (except the qualifying races), with one-star race horses required to be at least six years old (born in 2013 or earlier). Horses in the 40-kilometer and 80-kilometer qualifying races had to be at least five years old (born in 2014 or earlier). All competing horses must hold a passport issued by the Chinese Equestrian Association and pass pre-race veterinary inspections as per regulations.
Given the high caliber of this competition, to ensure fairness and impartiality, the FEI assigned officials to officiate. The technical delegate was from Malaysia, the chief judge from China, the race director from Malaysia, the veterinary representative from India, the president of the veterinary commission from Oman, and judges from Malaysia and China.
With a high level of international participation, professionally planned and organized, the event was jointly executed by Anping TianTuo Sports Event Planning Co., Ltd. and Beijing Jiuzhou Jinma International Cultural Development Co., Ltd. Anping TianTuo Sports Event Planning Co., Ltd. emerged alongside the development of equestrian sports. The company is committed to the operation, reform, and innovation of equestrian programs and is active in areas such as equestrian competitions, equestrian tourism, equestrian culture development, riding instruction, equestrian industry growth, horse breeding, and scientific husbandry. Beijing Jiuzhou Jinma International Cultural Development Co., Ltd. has successfully hosted numerous influential domestic and international premium events and maintains ongoing equestrian collaborations with countries and regions including the United States, France, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Hungary, Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, and Dubai.
Held along the beautiful and expansive flatlands of the Hutuo River in Anping, the racecourse features sandy soil that is soft and free of stones, reducing exertion on the horses and the risk of injury—making it highly suitable for endurance events. By hosting a series of FEI-sanctioned competitions, the unique charm of “Anping Equestrian Sports” was fully showcased, further accelerating the development of the local equestrian industry and upgrading cultural tourism. The goal is to establish Anping as a top-tier national hub for equestrian culture, industry, and sport, striving to become recognized as a “China Horse City.”
Leveraging the horse racing event as an opportunity will significantly enhance Anping’s international visibility. The adoption of internationally advanced operational methods and race formats will strongly support Anping’s future hosting of international equestrian competitions. It also provides a broad platform for Chinese equestrian sports to step onto the global stage.
The event and the influx of numerous equestrian enthusiasts have also spurred the development of upstream and downstream industries related to horse racing in Anping County. Today, Anping has developed a small market for horse breeding, raising, and trading, with stables increasingly relocating to the area. Currently, there are over 20 stables of various sizes in Anping County. The county has listed the equestrian culture industry as a sunrise sector for economic growth, especially given the rich and diverse value chain of the horse racing industry, which extends into many niche sectors. The upstream sector mainly focuses on foals, including horse breeding, feed, and horse trading. The downstream sector centers around equine services, including event management, equestrian clubs, performances, entertainment, and other horse racing-related services and associated industries. Leveraging its geographical and ecological advantages, Anping is also conducting scientific planning and integrated development—establishing a protection mechanism for the Hutuo River racetrack, and accelerating the construction of the China Equestrian Association’s Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Training Center. Additionally, plans are underway to develop an 1,800-acre equestrian-themed town, continuously strengthening the infrastructure for equestrian industry development, expanding international exchange and cooperation channels, and providing horse racing events, training, horse boarding, performances, and other health and sports tourism services for equestrian enthusiasts from Beijing, Tianjin, Xiongan, and across the nation.