Horse festival introduces audience to equine industry

Equestrians compete during the 2nd Korea Equestrian Festival at Ilsan Lake Park in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. The three-day festival featured a number of competitions, participatory events and an introduction to the horse industry in Korea, with some 210,000 people visiting the park during the event. / Courtesy of the Korea Equestrian Festival

By Nam Hyun-woo

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province ― The first images most Koreans associate with horse riding is probably that it is either a sport for the wealthy or gamblers.

For equine industry insiders, this is something they have been trying to shed for a long time.

Their latest effort was reflected in the 2nd Korea Equestrian Festival (KEF) held last weekend. Unlike the previous KEF or other types of equestrian events that invited audiences to existing equestrian parks, this year’s three-day event came to Ilsan Lake Park in the middle of the city of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, so that they could bring the equine industry closer to the general public.

Though people riding horses surrounded by tall buildings was an unusual scene in Korea, similar kinds of equestrian festivals were previously held in places like Central Park in New York City, Champ de Mars in Paris and the Olympia Conference Center in London.

According to the Korea Racing Authority (KRA), there are some 360 equestrian parks in Korea and more than 45,000 people enjoy the sport. The KRA admitted that the size of the sport in the country is still small, but the sport is growing gradually and lowering the barriers to the public is paying off.

To do so, the festival featured a slew of events in which visitors could take part. Visitors took rides on small ponies and were offered a glimpse into how to take care of a horse. Also, visitors were introduced to various jobs in the equine industry, such as farrier, trainer, groom, veterinarian and horse chiropractor, to help them better understand the industry.

The festival also featured a series of equestrian competitions, including those for junior riders. Officials at the Korean Equestrian, an equestrian body which organized the event, said the junior competitions are important because the successful popularization of equestrianism hinges on having more talented junior riders.

The opening ceremony on Friday featured a series of performances by Korean equestrians and former Belgium champions Lieven Devos and Stefan van Ingelgem. According to the festival organizers, the two Belgians joined the festival in order to spread their country’s horse riding culture to Korea.

The highlight of the festival was the jumping competition on Sunday. As a pair of riders jumped over hurdles 100-150 centimeters tall, spectators responded with enthusiastic applause. According to the organizers, around 210,000 visited the festival over the course of its three-day run.

However, the organizers’ attempt to bring an equestrian park to the middle of a city compromised some parts of the festival. Some riders were thrown from their horses, which were stressed by the unusual atmosphere, and the scale of the festival was smaller than a normal festival.

“By adopting leading equestrian countries’ know-how, this year’s KEF has become the steppingstone for Korea to follow them and become one of the leaders in Asia,” said chief organizer Rho Kyeong-sang. “We will further our effort to increase the equine industry by making exchanges with other countries and holding events like this.”