HORFA 2010 China International Horse Fair

After 5 days in Shanghai, the day of the expo had finally come. We had been eagerly watching the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall from our hotel room for days... and by this time it was all decked-out for the grand opening of the HORFA 2010 China International Horse Fair.  We were really excited for the event... though to be honest, we weren't sure what to expect either!

Overnight they had plastered enormous posters to the sides of the buildings and stadiums, advertising the expo and its various sponsors.

See that tall building in the background? That's our hotel!

There was a very grand opening ceremony complete with singing, dancing, and Chinese celebrities to announce the introductions and dedications for this momentous event. After all, China's first-annual international horse fair for equestrian business, taking place in a city of 20 million, is no small occasion!!

Below is our booth... on the left is the view from down the row (with Sabine and Ukey putting the final things in place)... and on the right is the four of us proudly standing ready to greet the crowds! 

Because Amrita and I had to carry nearly all our supplies with us on the plane from Seattle, our booth was fairly "simple" compared to some of the more extravagant vendors... but we were really happy with how it looked after we were done decorating. Aside from our large banner and a variety of photos, we displayed informational books, magazines, farm brochures, and pedigree information. We put sales ads for horses available in North America & Europe on the walls, featured a movie about the Akhal-Teke produced by the ATBC, and stocked the magazine rack with on-display issues of Teke Mania, The Horses Hoof, take-away flyers printed with websites for all available horses from contributing associations/farms/individuals, and information for contributing associations such as The Akhal-Teke Horse Association, The Akhal-Teke Breeders Co-op, The Akhal-Teke Sport-Horse Breeders Alliance Canada, etc.  Amrita brought a small number of The Akhal-Teke Horse DVDs, which we gave to selected patrons who either already owned Akhal-Teke horses, owned stables and/or equestrian clubs, or are seriously planning to buy. On the last day of the expo, we gave away the remaining sales ads, flyers, and association information to anyone who seemed especially interested in the breed.

THANK GOD FOR Ukey!!! 

She was totally dedicated to promoting our cause! She worked long hours and went above & beyond her job as our translator. She has a knack for engaging people in conversation, and her outgoing personality is both sophisticated and adorable. We couldn't have done it without her!

Hence, our booth was very popular!!

We chatted with people from all over the world...

and Ukey wasn't the only one in our group that was bilingual. Amrita speaks Dutch, French, & English. Sabine speaks German & English... so between the three of them... there was quite the international chatter going on! Unfortunately I was not much help because I am a typical American and only speak American... 

 We met the editor for China's most poplular horse related magazine, "Hurun Polo & Equestrian," which primarily consists of elaborate advertisements for luxury items popular with China's wealthy elite. So it makes sense that horses are in there, too, since right now the only people in China who can afford them have lots & lots of money...

I must say, it is quite a beautiful magazine. Below is the cover of the most recent issue, we liked it because the horse has such healthy frogs!

In fact, one of the most exciting things from the expo was the opportunity to advertise for free in this very magazine! The half-page ad will combine all contributing Akhal-Teke associations and be seen by China's most influential equestrians. 

Here we are with the editor and his daughter (who was very cute and tried hard not to have her photo taken!):

The booth directly across from us was for the extremely fancy EP PEQUIGNET watches... as well as a custom-designed saddle made for two riders.

Two riders?! That's right....

And they even had a demo DVD showing two full-grown adults riding one horse... in dressage, on the trail, and even....

JUMPING!

Ukey and I couldn't resist trying it out...

Some of the other vendors included KWPN Royal Dutch Sport Horse (Holland), Capall International Sales Ltd. (Ireland), T & Y Corporation (Japan), Mystica Arabians (Australia), Westfalisches Pferdestammbuch e.V (Germany), Classic Equine Dentistry (Australia), International Racehorse Transport (Australia, New Zealand, USA, United Kingdom), Kentucky Equine Research, VDL STUD (Holland), Taams Horses (Holland), Andalusian Horses - Yeguada La Paloma (Spain), DS-Pferdeagentur Agency (Germany),  J.J. Gordon Bloodstock Consultants (Australia), Canada Pavilion (Canada), Timothy Court & Company P/L (Australia), and Guido Klatte Intl. Horse Transport (Germany), and many more! 

But of course what most people came to the expo to see were the live horses. They had a variety of breeds on display including Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, miniature horses, and... AKHAL-TEKES:

They were sleek & shiny... and obviously high quality horses, but unfortunately their conditions were rather poor. Having recently arrived from Russia... some of these horses had been in quarantine up to only days before the expo... then sat on the trucks overnight while waiting to be unloaded. Not Fun!!

One major issue with equestrianism in China is that the means to buy has come before the means to maintain. In other words, people are importing horses from all over the world, but in many cases they arrive before their owners know how to properly care for them.

 However, there are also many exceptions to this and we met a few people who ride at some exceptionally high-class Chinese stables where the horse care is impeccable. And because equine-professionals in fields such as farriery & dentistry are few-and-far-between... there are HUGE business opportunities in China for foreigners wanting to expand their fields.
So as it is in the U.S. and all over the world, standards of horse care in China vary as much as anything else. And since the Chinese seem to excel at everything they do, it probably won't be long before excellent horse care is the norm throughout the entire country.

The horses on display at HORFA 2010 were led down a red carpet stage just outside of the exhibition hall at least once a day so that people could admire them.

 All of the Akhal-Tekes at the expo were privately owned by a riding club based near Beijing.

We were pleasantly surprised when one of the nice men we had met when we went to the Turkmenistan Pavilion at the World Expo came to visit our booth at HORFA 2010!! 

Here we were at the Turkmenistan Pavilion at the beginning of our trip:

And here we are at the Akhal-Teke booth at HORFA 2010:

The night of Saturday, September 25th, there was an extravagant gala dedicated to "important horse owners" and equestrian professionals... which included everyone who participated in HORFA 2010. It took place at an elite upper-class private club at the Star River Hotel. Transportation to the gala was provided for vendors of the expo, so all we had to do on Saturday evening was close up our booth and hop on one of the tour buses parked outside the exhibition hall. After about half an hour on the bus, we arrived at a spectacularly beautiful hotel that was fit for royalty!

Inside were crystal chandeliers and thick paisley carpets, marble walled bathrooms, and long tables overflowing with decadent foods!


Entertainment was provided by way of a variety of different musical performances, as well as traditional & modern dance routines. In between each performance were speeches given by important diplomats regarding the current status & future planning of equestrian businesses,  and auctions benefitting Shanghai-area riding clubs. Many of the items being auctioned were donated by vendors at the expo.

There was even an ice statue of a horse to keep the shrimp cold!!













Amrita, Pong, Sabine, Ukey, and I went back for seconds & thirds... the food was sooo good, and the deserts were miniature works of art, almost too pretty to eat!

All the guests were asked to autograph the "Wall of Famous and Important Horse Owners."

It was quite the experience!

For our last night in Shanghai, the hotel we had been staying in that was so close to the expo was booked up, so we decided to splurge! We used Priceline.com to book a room in a 5-star hotel and got it for only $75 USD!! It was a real treat... especially after the beds at the other place, which were actually BOARDS! No mattress at all! In Asia... many people sleep on very hard surfaces. It is believed to be better for your spine & your health. Which may be the case... but I found the experience rather bruising.

We were sad to leave the city of Shanghai. 

Especially when it came time to say goodbye to our dear friend Ukey...

We miss you Ukey!!

We saw the Great Wall of China from the plane when we departed from a lay-over in Beijing.
It was spectacular!!
Someday I hope to return to China and hike along it's stones!

We arrived in Lexington Kentucky two days later for the Akhal-Teke Breeders Co-op Booth at the World Equestrian Games.
Check in soon to read all about it!