Plenty of Europe’s most respected stud farms want to sell or train horses in China. The target is obviouslly the wave of new riding clubs, polo clubs and breeding farms which have sprung up in the country’s wealthier cities. Horses, like Mercedes cars, have become a status symbol of local businessmen.
From Germany, Ismer Stud is searching for partners in China because it sees “huge potential” in the country as a future market, says the stud’s director, Dr. Nils Ismer. There’s potential “in any kind of horse industry” here he says.
He sees Chinese interest in the Arabian horses, a speciality of the Strohen-based Ismer stud. On a 2007 trip to China Ismer representatives “recognized that there may be a big potential for the future,” says Ismer. They came back this year for Equestrian China expo in Beijing, looking for contacts to establish some partnerships or cooperation. “We see our position as a partner to follow up any development or business with any kind of support like advise concerning food, vet and blacksmith matters, registration work and for sure trainng of horses and people.”
Says Ismer: “The big potential I see, because there is not a lot of horses there yet and china is a country where the interest in horses and in riding is growing enormously. In 2007 we made already good contacts which gave us the feeling that there will be a future market.” The German horseman travelled to Beijing and Shanghai, says he believes “in every bigger city in China will be people or companies who can affford horses or build a business on horses.” Isme, he says, is in cooperation talks with different chinese partners “which I can not specify yet.”