Isaac Wong

Background

My name is Isaac Wong. I was originally born in Hong Kong, but moved to Shanghai when I was four years old. I am a rider currently based in Shanghai, China, though I flew to Hong Kong weekly to train and to compete at local shows since 2018.

My equestrian journey started at the age of 12 in October 2014 at a little riding school in the middle of Shanghai down town with a very special couple, uncle David and auntie Ann. I was reluctant at first and Ann asked me to help out to bathe a horse.  Since then I was enchanted by horses and the sport.  Later on, I moved to learning from a German dressage coach in Shanghai.  In 2018, I started to be interested in cross country and went to another stable to learn cross country from a French coach at the same time.

Whilst most of my riding is done in Shanghai, I am fortunate enough to partake in clinics and shows in Hong Kong quite often due to the constant support from the Lo Wu Saddle Club and the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation (HKEF). I regularly participate in local shows, both in Hong Kong and in China. Since 2018, I flew to Hong Kong weekly to be trained at Lo Wu Saddle Club and to partake in local shows organized by BREC and HKEF. In order to gain experience and exposure I have also competed internationally at the Welsh Midsummer Festival at heights up to 105cm at the David Broome Equestrian Centre in 2018 and at All England Horse Show at heights up to 110cm at Hickstead in 2019, gaining myself valuable overseas exposure and experience.

During longer holidays, especially over the summer, I have had the opportunity to ride and train in different yards in various countries. Some of these countries include France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Having had the chance to visit so many different places, with slight variations of riding style in each individual yard and seen the riding culture in different countries, I feel as if it has increased my exposure both as a rider, but as an international citizen as well.

Throughout the season, with tremendous support from the Lo Wu Saddle Club, I have been blessed with the opportunity to ride at shows in Hong Kong with an incredible ex-race horse named Fun Faster. Together, we placed 4th at the HKEF Eventing Horse of the Year Show 100cm class and 4th at the LONGINES Jumping Horse of the Year Show 110cm class. At Lo Wu Saddle Club I am also inspired of how riding and horse welfare can go hand in hand under the British Horse Society (BHS) system.  In 2018, at age of 14, I obtained three certificates of BHS stage One: Complete Horsemanship, Horse Care, and Riding.

Throughout 2019/20, I have been given the opportunity to event an incredible horse Emerald Butterfly. It was a new experience, but there are still many different things I need to figure out about this horse, and many other things yet to learn from her. So far, our best results have been a double clear at jumping and cross-country phases of BREC One Day Event 105cm class.