Exhibition groups from France, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland will appear at the 7th China International Horse Industry & Equestrian Exhibition (CHF 2013), to be held from October 17–19 this year at the New China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. They aim to showcase more of their premium horse breeds, high-quality products, and specialized services.
For years, the French Interprofessional Horse Federation (UNIC) has played a key role as a bridge to help the outside world understand the French horse industry. This year marks UNIC’s fourth time leading French equine enterprises to participate in the China International Horse Industry & Equestrian Exhibition (CHF), held annually in autumn in Beijing. UNIC representatives informed the organizers of CHF that focusing on the tremendous growth potential of China’s horse industry market, “maintaining and deepening exchanges and cooperation between China and France,” “adjusting French products and services according to the evolving characteristics of the Chinese market to better meet its demands,” and “encouraging Chinese tourists to visit France while continuing to provide them with support and assistance in horses, products, or technical research” have become some of UNIC’s major objectives for the coming year.
In recent years, the development potential of China’s horse industry market has gradually become apparent. In 2009, Xinjiang Wild Horse Group made a significant investment to import 23 extremely rare Akhal-Teke horses from Turkmenistan for the first time, marking a classic case of importing horses through formal trade channels in China. In April 2013, Beijing Jinghuaxing Equestrian Club imported 92 horses of various breeds from Australia, predominantly Thoroughbreds, along with Warmbloods, Arabians, and trotters. This was the largest single shipment of imported horses since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On the other hand, industry reports show that by 2009, the number of equestrian enthusiasts in Beijing had reached 100,000, and this figure has been rising year by year. Equestrian clubs in Nanjing have also grown from just 7 or 8 before 2011 to 16 today, with the number of riders increasing from around 100 to several thousand today.
These vivid examples of horse imports and the rapidly growing number of equestrian enthusiasts have all served to attract powerful international horse industry nations to join in the effort to explore and compete in the Chinese market. As the only B2B professional trade-oriented horse exhibition in China, CHF has successfully helped over 130 overseas suppliers from 21 countries develop their business in China. With the goal of building a professional trade platform at its core, after seven years of careful development, the China International Horse Industry & Equestrian Exhibition (CHF) has accumulated industry resources that can now effectively provide necessary support and assistance for domestic and international horse industry suppliers to develop new markets, promote new products, exchange new technologies, and establish new trade relationships.
This year, in addition to European exhibition groups, horse industry associations such as the Belgian Warmblood Horse Association (BWP) and the Argentine Association for the Promotion of Arabian Horses (AAFE) have also secured their exhibition booths at CHF 2013. According to the organizers of CHF 2013, BWP and AAFE are both participating for the second time this year. Their return will offer Chinese horse industry professionals, various expert buyers, and visitors greater opportunities to find their dream horses.
As of now, the number of Chinese local enterprises and overseas companies from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Australia, the US, Argentina, and other countries registered to exhibit at CHF 2013 has reached nearly 100, far exceeding the number during the same period last year. The organizers of CHF 2013 stated that as the exhibition preparation progresses, the number of exhibitors, variety of exhibits, and scale of the 7th China International Horse Industry & Equestrian Exhibition will once again break all previous records.