Clayton visits Hong Kong Olympic Venue
World Cup Champion and Olympic Hopeful meets the public in Penfold Park
4 February 2008
Clayton Fredericks, currently number four in the equestrian world rankings and aiming for gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Equestrian Events in Hong Kong, visited Penfold Park on Sunday 3 February along with about 1000 local residents from Sha Tin, Kowloon City and Sham Shui Po districts.
The visitors had the chance to see the Australian superstar in action as he demonstrated his riding skills, as well as giving a training session to two lucky young riders, sisters Jacqueline and Jasmine Lai.
Fredericks, eventing World Cup champion in 2005 and individual silver and team bronze medallist at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, has racked up all his major wins on horses owned by the Vice President of Hong Kong Equestrian Federation, Edwin McAuley. Fredericks was team manager and trainer for the Hong Kong riders at the 2002 Asian Games and continues to work with local riders.
Fredericks' appearance in Penfold Park was an added bonus for the visitors from the three districts, who took the opportunity before the end of the Year of the Pig to learn more about Olympic equestrian events at a special District Council day held at the Sha Tin venue.
As the countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympics gets shorter, the public's interest in getting close to horses and watching equestrian competitions is growing. Visitors not only had the chance to see one of the equestrian world's big stars in action, but also enjoyed a local one-day eventing competition of jumping, dressage and cross-country at Penfold Park, site of the training venues for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events in August. The visitors also indulged in a relaxed Sunday by visiting the Equestrian Pavilion and game booths, as well as having their photos taken with the Club's Equestrian Ambassador and Shetland ponies.