Jockey Club supports 2025 FEI General Assembly with welcome reception to promote Hong Kong as a hub for horse sports

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“the Club”) is pleased to support the 2025 Fédération Equestre Internationale (“FEI”) General Assembly – some 27 years after Hong Kong last staged the General Assembly to advance equestrian sport and reinforce its status as a leading global hub. It hosted a welcome reception at Happy Valley Racecourse tonight (5 November) to kick off the FEI General Assembly week and to showcase the uniqueness of horse racing and racecourse entertainment.

Posing for a group photo at the 2025 FEI General Assembly welcome reception are The Hon. Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (centre); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and President of the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China (1st left); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd right); Ingmar De Vos, President of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (2nd left); and Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (1st right).

The FEI General Assembly governs the overall direction, development and management of FEI Sport worldwide. It takes place in a different location each year. With support from the Club in partnership with the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China (EFHKC), the General Assembly is taking place in Hong Kong from 4 to 7 November this year.

Attendees at the welcome reception included Ingmar De Vos, President of FEI; Sabrina Ibáñez, Secretary General of FEI; The Hon. Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and President of EFHKC; Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and around 240 National Federation representatives, stakeholders and guests from over 70 countries and regions.

The Hon. Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd left); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and President of the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China (1st left); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd right); Ingmar De Vos, President of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (centre); and Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (1st right) attend the welcome reception of the 2025 FEI General Assembly at Happy Valley Racecourse and enjoy the stunning racecourse scenery.

Speaking at the reception, Club Chairman The. Hon Martin Liao said: “We are honoured that the Fédération Equestre Internationale has chosen Hong Kong to host this year’s General Assembly. Just like the Federation, the Club is a global leader in horse sports. We nurture equestrian sports at the grass roots level through our three public riding schools, which we have run for the past 50 years, and at the elite level through our support for the Hong Kong, China equestrian team in partnership with the Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China. The Club is also renowned for its expertise in co-hosting major equestrian events. We have built state-of-the-art training and racecourse facilities in Conghua that will host world-class racing from next October in what promises to be a major milestone in the sport’s development. This will build capability and capacity and offer us a springboard to promote all forms of equine sports in the Chinese Mainland.”

The Hon. Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the 2025 FEI General Assembly would provide ample opportunities for the global equestrian community to reconnect, while showcasing Hong Kong’s capabilities as an international hub.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse sports and entertainment organisation with a strong commitment to the country and Hong Kong. It has long been a staunch supporter of major sports events. It funded and constructed the competition venues and provided veterinary support for the equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Club also supported the equestrian events of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and provided technical support for the equestrian events of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Delegates enjoy Happy Wednesday racing at Happy Valley Racecourse.

The Club has committed more than HK$500 million to support the Hong Kong and Guangdong competition regions at this year’s 15th National Games, 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG). It is sole Partner Sponsor for the Hong Kong competition region and will provide technical support for the equestrian events in the Guangdong competition region as well as deploy an expert team to provide support and equipment that aligns with the highest standards.

Delegates enjoy Happy Wednesday racing at Happy Valley Racecourse.

In support of cross‑sector collaboration to advance sustainable development, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, through its Charities Trust, has approved a donation of over HK$426 million to support The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in establishing and operating the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute. The donation also supports the creation of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships, with the aim of bringing together distinguished international scholars from diverse fields to provide global insights into local needs and to transform research findings into practical policy recommendations and solutions for a more liveable and resilient Hong Kong - so contributing to the betterment of society.

Rimsky Yuen, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward (left) and Prof Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong (right) officiate at the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

The dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships was held on 5 May. Attending guests included Rimsky Yuen, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward, Prof Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong; Prof Yang Wang, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) of The University of Hong Kong; Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of Business School of The University of Hong Kong and three endowed professors: Professor Guojun He, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics; Professor Jeffrey Ng, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Accounting, and Professor Uta Schönberg, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics.

Rimsky Yuen, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward (3rd left); Prof Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong (centre); Prof Yang Wang, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) of The University of Hong Kong (1st left); Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of Business School of The University of Hong Kong; and the three endowed professors (2nd left): Professor Guojun He, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics (3rd right); Professor Jeffrey Ng, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Accounting (1st right), and Professor Uta Schönberg, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics (2nd right) attend the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

Congratulating the four eminent scholars on their appointments, including Professor Roni Michaely, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Finance and Entrepreneurship, who was unable to attend the ceremony, Club Steward Rimsky Yuen said that, with the support of the four endowed professorships, the institute is well-placed to become a world-class knowledge hub, providing actionable insights that can deliver meaningful impact in Hong Kong, Asia and beyond. He added that the Club has supported many groundbreaking initiatives at HKU over the years. This reflects the Club’s long-standing investment in human capital and higher education, and its commitment to nurturing leaders who can propel the city’s economic development and sustain the prosperity of the nation.

Club Steward Rimsky Yuen delivers a speech at the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

The HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute aims to become a world-class hub for Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and Sustainability best practice in Hong Kong, Asia and beyond with respect to three core aspects:

1）Research — Create four endowed professorships in the disciplines of economics, finance, entrepreneurship, and accounting. Under the leadership of the appointed scholars, the Institute will foster multidisciplinary collaboration and integrate knowledge with practice and transform top-tier research into actionable solutions.
2）Engagement — Develop a sustainability index, offer consultancy and advisory services, and organise conferences, seminars and international summits to facilitate dialogues and forge cross‑sector partnerships.
3）Education — Curate sustainability related courses and interdisciplinary initiatives to equip forward-looking sustainability professionals.

The Club’s support for the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Group photo.