The 2013 FEI World Cup Jumping China League (Beijing Stop) officially kicked off a new round of equestrian excitement from April 29 to May 5 at the Beijing Horse Culture Center International Equestrian Club. This year marks the third consecutive edition of the FEI World Cup Jumping China League since its inception in China in 2011. The FEI World Cup Jumping China League is jointly organized by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the Cycling & Fencing Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Equestrian Association, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, and the Beijing Sports Federation. It is hosted by Huaxia International Sports & Entertainment Co., Ltd., the Beijing Horse Culture Center International Equestrian Club, and the Beijing Equestrian Association.
The FEI World Cup Jumping is an annual equestrian show jumping competition organized by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and hosted by regional equestrian associations. It is hailed as “the most captivating equestrian competition.” Established in 1978, the event has been held for 34 consecutive editions to date, making it the world’s most influential, highest-level, and most participated official equestrian competition. The global competition is divided into 16 zones: Western Europe, Arabia, Australia–Pacific, Central Asia, White Asia, Central European League North, Central European League South, Japan, New Zealand–Pacific, South Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, North American League East, North American League West, and China. Each zone holds qualifying events, after which regional finals take place. Riders with top rankings earn points, and those with the highest cumulative scores qualify for the FEI’s annual World Cup Final.
In 1983, the Chinese Equestrian Association joined the FEI and has since worked diligently to develop this highly appealing sport in China. In 2011, to promote the internationalization, professionalism, commercialization, marketization, and socialization of equestrianism in China, and after more than two years of coordination and preparation approved by the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Equestrian Association and the FEI finally secured China’s status as the 14th FEI World Cup Jumping zone in 2010. The event was successfully held in 2011, marking China’s commitment to becoming a significant international force in the development of equestrian sports.
The FEI World Cup Jumping China League is the highest-level and most professionally recognized equestrian competition in China and Asia. It is also the only pathway for riders from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea to qualify for the annual FEI World Cup Jumping Final. As one of only two FEI World Cup-qualified venues in Asia, the league will hold three stops in China this year—two qualifying legs and a final championship leg in China. The overall champion of the 2013 China League will, as in previous years, earn the right to compete in the FEI World Cup Jumping Global Final. The FEI World Cup Jumping China League has become another world-class top-tier event, following the China Open in Beijing, the Shanghai F1, the Shanghai Masters in tennis, and the Shenzhen Mission Hills Golf World Cup.
The first Beijing stop of the 2013 FEI World Cup Jumping China League attracted nearly 163 elite riders from over 20 countries and regions during the May Day Golden Week, including China, Hong Kong (China), Chinese Taipei, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bermuda, and more. Participants include 71-year-old Hugo Simon, the oldest rider and a multi-Olympic Games veteran; the Whitaker family trio from the renowned British equestrian dynasty; and German rider Franz-Josef Dahlmann with his legendary career. As the highest-level equestrian competition in China and Asia, the FEI World Cup Jumping China League features obstacles ranging from 140-145 cm. In addition to international riders, top domestic riders also compete—not only to prove themselves but also to make their final push toward the 12th National Games to be held in Shenyang in August. Among them are Huang Zuping, the first-ever champion of the FEI World Cup Jumping China League and an Olympic rider, as well as Olympic participants Zhao Zhiwen and Li Zhenqiang. Li Zhenqiang will also compete alongside his son, Li Yaofeng, forming a father-son team.
Additionally, riders of all ages—including experienced veterans and rising stars such as Hadatie, Liu Tongyan, Duan Yihua, Xiao Kelati · Abai, Han Zhuangzhuang, and Tian Yu—will gather in Beijing. Together with international competitors, they will embark on the 2013 FEI World Cup Jumping China League journey at the Beijing Horse Culture Center, competing for the sole ticket to the World Cup Final. The Beijing stop of the 2013 FEI World Cup Jumping China League also includes six levels: 60-80 cm Junior Competition, 100-110 cm Owners Class, 120 cm Club Individual Class, 130 cm Club Team Class, Club Young Horses Class, and 140-145 cm World Cup Class. The Junior Competition provides a platform for China’s young equestrian talents to gain experience and promotes the cultivation and professional development of youth riders. The 130 cm Club Team Class brings together equestrian clubs across the country and is the most authoritative domestic competition in this category.
Chinese equestrian culture boasts a history of several thousand years. Over the past three years, the FEI World Cup Jumping has become a vital bridge connecting China’s profound equestrian heritage with the global equestrian community. It not only offers outstanding Chinese riders the opportunity to step onto the international stage but has also significantly advanced the development of equestrian sports across China. With China’s participation, the FEI World Cup Jumping China League has truly become a unified global series. As Princess Haya, President of the International Equestrian Federation, stated in her speech before the start of the China League: “This competition is the highest-level event in the FEI’s global equestrian calendar, and it is also a very important stage for Chinese athletes. Through series like the FEI World Cup, we continuously enhance the value of equestrian sports, riders, and our partners, while uncovering exceptional talent on a global scale.”