Equestrian Performance – Dressage
On January 8, a new Guinness World Record was set at the Hailan International Equestrian Club, owned by the Hailan Group in Jiangyin City. Thirty riders and thirty Austrian Lipizzaner horses jointly performed the world’s largest dressage equestrian show. Amelia, an official certifier from Guinness World Records UK, presented the certificate to Zhou Jianping, President of the Hailan Group, the creator of this record. This event was part of the CCTV-1 special Spring Festival program “Guinness China Night,” which aired on New Year’s Day at 6:00 PM. The creation of this Guinness Record not only adds a remarkable highlight to the global equestrian industry but also marks a milestone for China’s equestrian sector.
Dressage originated between the 5th and 4th centuries BC when the Greeks trained horses in dance-like movements to enhance their combat abilities. Over time, it evolved into an equestrian art form. By the 20th century, it became a competitive sport and was included as an official event in the Olympic Games, gaining even greater artistic and visual appeal. It is understood that, to date, the largest dressage performance abroad has involved only 12 riders and 12 horses. The Hailan International Equestrian Club spent four years meticulously building the world’s largest dressage equestrian team, aiming to allow more Chinese people to experience the charm of equestrianism up close.
The Hailan International Equestrian Club is currently the first comprehensive equestrian sports base in China that integrates equestrian training, performances, competitions, fitness, leisure, and vacation. It currently employs 12 senior foreign coaches, 36 domestic equestrian trainers, and 80 equestrian performance members. The club has also imported over 170 high-quality horses from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and other regions, including Hanoverians, Friesians, and Andalusians. Since its opening in September two years ago, the equestrian performance spectacular has been staged over 90 times, becoming a popular tourist attraction in Jiangyin and Wuxi. In November last year, it was listed as a recommended Chinese sports tourism excellence project by the General Administration of Sport of China and the National Tourism Administration.