China’s nouveau riche have money and like to flaunt it overseas – and that ever-interesting font of Chinese equestrian knowledge, www.horse.org.cn, seems to have found a handy niche for itself in taking the horsey set overseas.
A week in Portugal costs over EUR3,000 (RMB26,000 -flights not included) while eight days learning ‘natural horsemanship’ in Hungary costs RMB30,000.
Such trips might be good value given the astronomical costs of riding -and variable quality of trainers – in Beijing equestrian clubs. The trip to Portugal is advertised as a week of wine and villas, as well as ‘rare and expensive pure blooded Lusitano horses’. And this way China’s elite gets to spend its money discreetly: China’s new government is perpetuating a ‘frugality’ campaign in the face of increasing corruption here.