Hong Kong's equestrian team finished eighth in the jumping team competition at the Asian Games on Thursday, ending on 70 penalty points.
Ten teams competed at the Japan Racing Association Tokyo Equestrian Park this morning, with only the best three riders' scores counting towards the team total.
Held over two rounds, the event required riders and horses to jump a set course of wooden obstacles in order, with the team on the fewest penalties winning.
Hong Kong's quartet, which included Patrick Lam, Jacqueline Lai, Clarissa Lyra and Sheikara Lalive d'Epinay, received professional training under the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan, a joint initiative of The Equestrian Federation of Hong Kong, China and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Lam and Lai were part of the team that won a team jumping bronze at Guangzhou 2010, with Lalive d'Epinay making her Asian Games debut.
The squad finished eighth on 70 penalty points, with a combined time of 226.46 seconds.
Attention now turns to the individual jumping competition, which begins Saturday under a new format that splits the event into two groups.
Group A will be contested over 1.45m in the first round and 1.50m in the final, while the newly introduced Group B will be decided over 1.55m courses. Both groups will award medals, with the winners decided on next Sunday (Oct 4).
It is understood that Lai, Lyra and Lalive d'Epinay will ride in Group A, with Lam contesting Group B on Lopez One.
Hong Kong has sent 11 horse-and-rider combinations to the Games this year, competing across dressage, eventing and show jumping in both team and individual categories.
To safeguard the performance and well-being of the contingent, Amanda Bond, Head of Equestrian Affairs of The Hong Kong Jockey Club was appointed Chef d'Equipe to lead the delegation throughout the tournament.
The Jockey Club also deployed a dedicated multidisciplinary support unit comprising coaches, grooms, veterinarians, farriers, and human and equine physiotherapists to provide comprehensive technical and medical care.
