Bio
Year of Birth: 1989
Gender: Male
Place of Birth: Hong Kong
Riding Since: Age 7
Equestrian Discipline: Eventing
HKSI Sponsorship Athletes
Best Result
CCI4*-S of Sopot, Poland 2020
CCI4*-S of Arville, Belgium 2019
CCI4*-L of Strzegom, Poland 2019
Hong Kong representative for 13th National Games in Tianjin 2017
Team Eventing Bronze at 17th Asian Games in Incheon, Korea 2014
Background
Thomas Heffernan Ho was born and raised in Hong Kong where equestrian sports did not have, at the time, a high profile. However, at the age of seven he was introduced to horse riding by his older brother Daniel. Since then, Hong Kong was the venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games equestrian events leading to a greater profile for equestrian sports in Hong Kong.
In 2004, when Thomas’ brother left for University in the UK, he took on the livery of his horse, Prince Baikel and from then on developed a keen interest in horse riding. He rode every morning at 5 am before school and was an active member of the Pony Club, taking part in local competitions.
He first represented Hong Kong in an international competition in 2006 when he was 17 years old. He entered as a young rider and was runner-up in the CSIY competition in India on borrowed horses. Thomas again represented Hong Kong in Korea in 2007 before leaving to pursue further education in Switzerland.
Throughout his four years in Switzerland, Thomas continued his interest in equestrian events and competed in Swiss national level events. He trained with Nathlie Bruttin keeping his horse in her yard in Fribourg.
When Tom graduated from college, he started his career with the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong and due to his busy schedule, he only managed to ride very occasionally. In early 2014, Thomas won the Hong Kong Eventing Horse of Year Show and was asked by the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation about his interest in potentially representing Hong Kong in the Asian Games Eventing competition in September that year. With the support of his employers at the Shangri-La who made a very special video to wish him luck, Thomas joined the Hong Kong team to win a bronze medal at the Asian Games.
Exceling himself throughout the years, Thomas successfully secured an eventing individual place to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the first time Hong Kong to be represented in this discipline at the Olympics. He also achieved the Minimum Requirement Eligibility to the Eventing Individual competition with Tayberry in 2020.
His true passion in life has always been Eventing and he is extremely grateful to the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and is very honoured to be given the opportunity to represent Hong Kong the city of his birth at the Olympic Games.
