Chinese excitement at first ever qualification for the World Equestrian Games
Alex's sterling performance on his second and third horses, Jeans and Magenta, means that he has booked his ticked to the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky next year.
Press excitement
The news has set Chinese media buzzing with excitement. Alex has been under the scrutiny of the Chinese press since he started his his Olympic campaign three years ago. They christened him 'One in a Billion' and the 'Beckham of Equestrian sport'. His dramatic fall in the Olympics was rated one of the 10 most memorable events for the Chinese audience in the Beijing Olympics by China Central Television, along with Ussein Bolt's world record and China's hurdling star Liu Xiang's sad departure.
The news of his qualification at Blenheim was covered throughout China including China Central TV news and China's major web news portals and print press including:
QQ, CRI, , Baidu, Sina, Netease, Sohu Sports, Xinhua News Agency, Sports China, Guangzhou Daily, Beijing Youth, Southern Sports, Chinese Olympic Committee Official Website, Xinmin News, China Tibet News, People's Sport, Jiangxi Province News, Titan24 Sports, Radio Henan, Hubei TV, Shanghai Online, Mongolia Broadcasting Company, Guangzhou Net, Anhui Radio.
Spectacular event
Blenheim Palace Horse Trials is one of the most spectacular events in the European equestrian calendar. Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site and Churchill's birth place, is one of the most visited stately homes in Europe (around 400,000 visitors per year). Hosted by the Duke of Marlborough, a relative of Princess Diana, this year's entries included almost 100 horse and rider combinations from 12 countries. The hotly contested four day competition and the stunning setting attracted record crowds.
Thrilled with his performance
Alex's Olympic horse
is resting after a minor injury, so he was thrilled with his two back-up horses. Magenta, Alex's 2010 hope, a 10 year old mare came 12th, while Jeans showed himself well capable of being competitive at the World Games next year when he took 7th place. Alex said: 'I was a little conservative with him at this competition, and took one long route. I am thrilled with his performance and our result".
19 year old Alex was awarded the prize for the highest place rider under 25 by Rosemary Barlow for the Horse Trials Support Group.
"China has never been able to participate in the World Equestrian Games. Alex's qualification gives China a chance to join the large international equestrian family", said a delighted Cheng Qing, Secretary-General of the Chinese Equestrian Association.
Fashion at Blenheim
At international eventing competitions the two 'horse inspections' have become crowd pullers. The horses are paraded by their riders in front of the event officials, once at the start of the event and once after the cross-country, to ensure the horses are fit and healthy to compete. Riders take the opportunity to present the horses and themselves in their best light, so this has become quite a 'fashion parade'. Alex wore an Aquascutum suit for the first inspection and a Shanghai Tang mandarin jacket for the second.
For more detail read Alex's Blenheim blog
