In the Year of the Horse, Equestrian Sports are booming in China
This article was originally published in Italian on Class on 8th January 2026.
Please note that this is a courtesy translation of the Italian language article originally published on Class Issue at: https://www.classxhsilkroad.it/news/azienda-servizi/nell-anno-del-cavallo-e-boom-in-cina-anche-per-l-equitazione-202601081111417290
Opportunities for bilateral cooperation, both in commercial and sporting terms, are rapidly increasing. However, it would be highly advisable to move as soon as possible toward the signing of an operational veterinary protocol, which would have an impact not only on sport horse breeders, but on the entire ecosystem. Here is an overview of the sector.
In recent years, China has recorded significant growth across numerous sectors, from new technologies to sports. In this context, equestrian activities have progressively gained prominence: over the past decade, equestrian sports have evolved from a niche field into an emerging segment of the leisure economy.
According to the China Equestrian Association, the overall value of the equestrian industry increased from approximately RMB 90.9 billion (about EUR 11.05 billion) in 2016 to RMB 138.3 billion (about EUR 17.5 billion) in 2019, with the training sector on its own reaching RMB 13.83 billion (about EUR 1.7 billion).
Over the same period, the number of registered equestrian clubs rose to 2,160, with around 420,000 practitioners, while the equestrian equipment market was estimated at USD 234 million (approximately EUR 200 million) in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 5.7%. These figures confirm that the rider base has long moved beyond a mere “niche” and is now driving growing demand for facilities, high-quality horses, instructors, know-how, and specialized services.
A key milestone in this transformation was the debut of the Chinese national equestrian team at the Tokyo Olympics, which gave international visibility to the investments made in infrastructure and technical training. At the same time, major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuxi have seen a proliferation of private clubs and equestrian schools, often in cooperation with foreign instructors, making equestrianism one of the emerging sports activities.
In May 2025, Shanghai once again hosted one of the most prestigious events on the international calendar: the Longines Global Champions Tour. This event carried strong symbolic value, positioning China among the new hubs of equestrian sport and, at the same time, highlighting the need to strengthen ties among countries and industry players. Among the international riders who competed in China, particular mention goes to the Italian show jumper Alberto Zorzi, who stated that he had taken part in equestrian events both in Beijing and in Chengdu.
Further confirmation of the growth of this sector in the Chinese market came with the 15th National Games of China, the Country’s most important multi-disciplinary sporting event. In this context, the equestrian competitions were held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, from 10 to 19 November, bringing together 16 teams from across China. The technical organization, the quality of the facilities, and the strong participation of a wide audience demonstrated how equestrian sports are acquiring an increasingly central role within the Chinese sports landscape.
At the same time, the international institutional calendar also confirms China’s growing importance: on 1st December 2026, the Global Assembly of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) will be held in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, at the Heilan International Equestrian Club – Pegasus Watertown. For the first time, the FEI Global Assembly will take place in Mainland China, gathering the world’s leading decision-makers in the sector and providing an additional platform for visibility and networking also for foreign partners interested in this market, including Italy, which is renowned for its long-standing equestrian heritage.
In Italy, taking into account sporting activities, breeding, tourism, training, and related services, the equestrian value chain is worth approximately EUR 3 billion, supports over 100,000 jobs, and involves millions of practitioners as well as thousands of facilities spread across the country.
Italian equestrian culture is deeply rooted, ranging from historic competitions such as Piazza di Siena to great Olympic champions – such as Raimondo and Piero D’Inzeo – and to a long-standing tradition in breeding the Italian Saddle Horse (Sella Italiano), which has led to the selection of breeds appreciated both in sport and beyond.
Marco Porro, Head of the Italian national show jumping team, highlighted in an interview with the Chinese television broadcaster CGTN the technical progress made by Chinese riders, stating that he has noticed a growing number of Chinese athletes showing clear improvements and participating in all major international circuits. This confirms that the rising competitive level in China is creating new opportunities for technical and training exchanges with Italy.
In an interview with the same broadcaster, the President of the Italian Equestrian Federation (FISE), Marco Di Paola, further emphasized that Italy’s long-standing experience in equestrian education can play a central role in cooperation with China. According to Di Paola, Italy is a leader in equestrian training and would like to work with its Chinese counterpart to help local instructors understand and embrace the teachings of Federico Caprilli, the founder of the Natural System of Riding, so that they can pass them on to their students.
This technical and cultural heritage represents an additional distinctive element of the Italian offering in its dialogue with the Chinese equestrian world. Di Paola also pointed out how equestrian sport has become increasingly globalized, noting that even horses travel by air and that several Italian riders are already competing in China: a flow of people and horses that provides a concrete foundation on which to build future cooperation.
This is further complemented by an element of strong symbolic and regulatory value: Italy is the first, and so far the only, Country in the world to have formally recognized the horse as an athlete within its legal system, thereby further strengthening the focus on animal welfare and the professionalism of sporting practices. This status helps to distinguish the Italian model and can become a qualifying argument in dialogue with Chinese partners and institutions interested in high standards of protection and management of sport horses.
Italy is also internationally recognized for the quality of its saddlery, its veterinarians and farriers, as well as for technical apparel, such as the globally renowned brand Cavalleria Toscana, where craftsmanship, design, and innovation merge with the Country’s broader vocation for fashion and luxury. This ecosystem supports a wide range of businesses, from companies producing saddles and tack to those operating in equestrian tourism, specialized veterinary services, and logistics for competitions and events.
Despite these various strengths, Italy’s presence in the Chinese equestrian market remains limited. Other European Countries, such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands, have already built structured relationships with China, also thanks to specific agreements that facilitate the export of horses and the participation of professionals in long-term projects.
For Italy, the main obstacle is not a lack of expertise or competitive products, but rather the absence of a specific regulatory framework on sanitary and customs matters. The lack of dedicated protocols makes the process of moving horses from Italy to China longer and more burdensome: waiting times can reach up to six months, compared to a maximum of 30 days for the above-mentioned Countries that already have such protocols in place.
As a result, the competitiveness of Italian breeders is significantly reduced, as is the possibility of establishing stable export flows and building solid partnerships in the Chinese market. This limits access to a market where demand for sport horses and international expertise is rapidly growing, especially if the practitioner base continues to expand beyond the current hundreds of thousands of riders.
Within this framework, several initiatives represent the first building blocks of a cooperation that is gradually taking shape between Italy and China in the equestrian sector. The Memorandum of Understanding signed last summer between FISE and the Jiangsu Equestrian Association (JEA) – one of the leading equestrian associations in China – aims to promote exchanges in technical training, opportunities for breeders, and joint projects, while also creating institutional channels of dialogue that are useful for businesses, as they help open the way for programs involving the exchange of athletes, veterinarians, internships, and stable collaborations between clubs and federal training centers.
Adolfo Rebughini, General Manager of Veronafiere S.p.A. – the organizer of Fieracavalli, one of the most important equestrian fairs in Europe and the largest in Italy – described this agreement as a first step toward something more concrete, stressing how equestrianism is a very important passion for the Chinese people, as well as a vital sector for the Italian economy.
Following the signing of the Memorandum, the main objective that both Countries should pursue is the conclusion of a bilateral veterinary protocol dedicated to the equestrian sector between the Italian Ministry of Health and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), which clearly define sanitary requirements, quarantine arrangements – simplified where possible – and sustainable authorization procedures for Italian live horses intended for sport and breeding.
This protocol would help establish a regulatory framework capable of making the exchange of live horses and expertise between Italy and China stable and sustainable. In this regard, driven by the efforts of numerous Italian companies and associations, a draft protocol has already been prepared at the Italian level and was submitted to the competent Chinese authorities last November.
We are therefore currently in a phase of technical and diplomatic dialogue, in which the Embassy of Italy in China – led by Ambassador Massimo Ambrosetti – plays a central role in liaising with the GACC, with the aim of reaching, hopefully within a reasonable timeframe, the signing of the final text.
An operational veterinary protocol would not only affect sport horse breeders, but would concern an entire ecosystem: from trade fairs such as Fieracavalli Verona to international event organizers, from the facilities of the Federal Equestrian Centre (Centro Equestre Federale) to entities affiliated with FISE, and up to sector associations in the agricultural and livestock fields such as the National Association of Italian Saddle Horse Breeders (“Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Cavallo da Sella Italiano”, ANACSI). It would make it possible to transform what are currently potential opportunities into continuous and more competitive projects on international markets, offering Made in Italy an exceptional showcase of visibility.
On a more strictly institutional level, the official visit to China by the Italian Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, in November 2025 represented an initial opportunity for dialogue with the competent Chinese authorities in the fields of health and veterinary affairs, and was considered capable of helping to create a more favorable environment for the start of technical negotiations.
The continuity of political, diplomatic, and technical commitment – beginning with the follow-up to Minister Schillaci’s mission – is therefore a crucial factor: without an operational veterinary agreement, the potential of Italian equestrian excellence on the Chinese market will inevitably remain limited. This process must be accompanied by the concrete interest and active involvement of companies, breeders, athletes, and various Italian associations in the equestrian sector, which are called upon to work together to transform institutional openness into new opportunities for development, exchange, and enhancement of the entire national supply chain.
It is not without significance, in this context, that 2026 marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese calendar: a symbol of good fortune for the launch of a structured and long-lasting cooperation, ideally sealed by the signing of the bilateral protocol.
By: Avv. Carlo D’Andrea, National Vice President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and Chairman of the Board of the Shanghai Chapter, Founder and Managing Partner of D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel
