The Inter Pacific Exchange is a Pony Club bi-annual event between Australia, New
Zealand, USA, Canada and Hong Kong. The event was cancelled in 2009 because of the H1N1 virus, but was able to go ahead in July 2010. The following is the report from the team Manager, Carol Paterson.
Team Members, Alison Hall/Tasmania, Shay Smith/Victoria, Kate Avery/NT and
Elise Norman-Hunkin/Queensland. Jan Moreland/Q’land – Coach and Carol
Paterson/Q’land – Manager
After a twelve month delay it was hard to believe that the exchange was actually happening- as we gathered up the team members in Sydney on the night before leaving
Australia for Hong Kong. After an initial scare at the airport when Jan (Team coach) mislaid her handbag containing her passport and vital documents – fortunately recovered without incident – it was an excited group that finally caught the plane on Thursday 22nd
July.
Looking smart in our Australian uniforms Alison Hall from Tasmania, Shay Smith from
Victoria, Kate Avery from Northern Territory and Elise Norman-Hunkin from
Queensland along with Jan Morland (Coach) and Carol Paterson (team manager) arrived in Hong Kong to our first familiarization with the weather with signs shining brightly announcing a black thunderstorm warning – the highest degree of nastiness. Fortunately the worst weather had passed and it was only a traffic jam that greeted us on the way to
Kowloon.
Up bright and early next morning and a phone call to the organizers - it was discovered that Jan and I were on our to find a way to Beas River – about an hour out of town – so what else to do but catch the train!! Just had to find the way to go – after a little reconnaissance we had the track planned which involved first up a little walking with our luggage
– just like backpackers - and we were off to the station. Arrived in
Sheung Shui and Kate
Budge was there to meet us and transfer us to Beas
River Country Club our home till Sunday. The locals were complimentary on our ability to negotiate the rail system – and complimented us on our adventurous spirit. A good start to the trip!

After meeting the other teams at lunch it was off to inspect the local riding schools on
Hong Kong - Tuen Mun was the first we visited in the New Territories some 1 hour or so from Beas River and controlled by the Hong Kong Jockey Club stabling about 80 horses
– then off to the first privately owned Riding established the Lo Wu Saddle club stabling about 60 horses –with more ponies – not owned by Hong Kong Jockey club but supported by it nevertheless. Finally it was back to Beas River Country Club and the chance to inspect their riding stables. Beas river stable around 250 horses and their main aim is to retrain ex racehorses from Hong Kong. They had lots of facilities but unfortunately they had dismantled the Olympic venue cross country fences – although there were still several fences stored near the golf course.
That evening was the welcome dinner which was held at Beas River main dining room. It was a pleasant evening with a fabulous buffet dinner.
Saturday was a day for relaxing with a trip out to the coast to catch a boat for a trip in the bay. The weather was very pleasant and we were joined on the trip by some of the Hong
Kong Pony Club supporters
– who provided lots of local information about the area.
After lots of swimming and eating it was back to Beas
River for the draw of the dressage horses. This was done most officially but as we were in Hong Kong and the horses were in China it was still a mystery!
Sunday morning we caught up with Possum Richards – an ex IPE member from Australia
(and Qld) who travelled to New Zealand in 1987 – from a successful team as her name appears on the shield. Possum was instructing at Beas River for many years and still lives in Hong Kong. Then it was time to head off to China and the Camelot Riding
Resort and Country Club. This involved hopping off the bus, collecting our luggage leaving Hong Kong – progressing through no man’s land and entry into China and with our luggage boarding the same bus again. We finally made it to Camelot about 2.30 as it is about 1 ½ hours inside the border. After lunch of pizza (well what else would you expect in China!) it was off to inspect the stables and facilities which are all first class – including a large swimming pool. The weather was warm and very humid so we were pleased to have air conditioned rooms to cool off in.

Monday is our first riding day for the dressage competition. We had drawn the last times for exercising so stopped by to watch the other countries work out in the indoor arena. We each we allocated 40 minutes for a riding session – two sessions then the competition. Each group was allocated a free going horse – 2 others that were not so well trained or young and one horse with problems – maybe above the bit – or nervous – ours was a privately owned horse that obviously hated his owner (male) and tended to kick out and kick other horses and did not respond to forward aids. 303 was his number and he became a pussycat with some TLC. After Jan allocated the horses and we did one swap it was down to serious work. With the heat and humidity the 40 minutes was more than long enough and then it was time to refresh the horses and riders. That afternoon it was off to Dongguan(nearby town) for some retail therapy.
Unfortunately a severe storm curtailed the exercise but it was still enjoyed by all.
Thunder early next day – still hot and humid – work the horses – they started better today
– tomorrow is competition day. Then it was off to Splendid China Folk Village near
Shenzen (on the Hong Kong border) arriving about 1.00 p.m. We had been advised to watch the Mongolian Horse spectacular in its own huge arena – so wandered down through the village which was most interesting in itself. Well the Mongolian Horse spectacular sure was – they enacted Gengis Khan coming through China and the battles and their was immense action and noise and unfortunately the commentary in Chinese but it was all quite a sight and showing some amazing horsemanship on the little
Mongolian ponies.
The ride home in the bus after dark was an education in how to squeeze 5 lanes of traffic into three on frequent occasions

After dinner it was the draw for the order of the dressage competition – and of course it was Australia first out, followed by Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA and Canada.
Alison and volunteered to ride first, then Elise, Shay and Kate.
Up early for plaiting two horses then the competition commenced at 9.00 a,.m. – 2 judges
– one at C and one at E. Encouraged the girls to do an accurate test as the horses seem to be going quite well. Alison had the hardest ride as first out and performed well – even if we felt she was a little disadvantaged in the judging. They all rode very well – but the marks came up with USA first , Canada and Australia tied on equal marks for second
(on a countback of rider marks Australia came third) with Hong Kong 4 th
and New
Zealand 5 th
.

After lunch it was some more retail therapy in Shenzen for some teams – Shenzen is an amazing centre full of real and imitation goods – purchased price by bargaining – of course some are better at it than others but we all improved with time!!
Next day was a quiet day – some went for more shopping others went on a farm walk and enjoyed the Camelot Chef’s Chinese cooking instruction with some English translation – it was most delicious anyway and we now have the recipes – but will it taste the same!
The Kangaroo cup was the next competition on the programme and normally this is a combined training or cross country event. Hong Kong acting district commissioner Nick
Rogers devised the event – called a triathlon. It consisted of 4 mounted games (in the indoor arena using the Mongolian ponies), a bike ride relay, a swim relay, climbing on the rock wall and basketball goal throwing. The teams are made up of one member from each country plus one of the Chinese riding instructors from Camelot who don’t speak
English.
Well the games were a great success and caused lots of laughter and much cheating where possible.
After the games it was lunch then back in the bus for a trip to the Chimelong circus which was near Canton and on the way a visit to one of the historic forts on the Pearl river delta where the Chinese tied to stop the foreign traders from entering the river.
It was a most interesting journey and to see the amount of river traffic on the Pearl river was an eye opener in itself. Before the circus it was a buffet dinner at a ‘real’ Chinese restaurant – marvelous. Then to the circus. Well it was a cross between the Cirque de
Soleil and a real circus with animals but spectacular light displays and acrobatics – combined with animal acts. The huge white tiger and lion unprotected by cages
(although there was a moat) showed how amazing it was. Something not to be missed.
Home late that evening but definitely a worthwhile adventure.
Saturday already and after a brief meeting to sort out details of the Nations Cup
Showjumping competition it was the draw for the Nations Cup horses. Well this ended up not being so easy as it sounds with the first draw being abandoned after the dressage horses had not been regrouped and three of the five teams drew the same horses – which must give them an advantage. So it was a reshuffle of the horses within the groups by the
Riding resort manager Phillip Sun and another draw. The draw resulted in Canada first out in the running order followed by Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and USA. So off to meet the horses again. We had drawn 3 nice types around 16hands two inexperienced with jumping and 303 from the first round – not sure about his jumping style and the owner had been to ride him again – so he was back to being bad tempered – two days to work on that!! Two of our horses were also dry coated in that they did not physically sweat so lots of care to ensure no overheating. Jan ensured the first training session was full of basics and control and we were happy with the performance
Sunday the last day of our 40 minute training sessions with the horses before the
Nations Cup. Training scheduled for evening and as the horses haven’t done any competition jumping the teams were allowed to jump five fences under lights in the outdoor arena.

Monday –– the manager’s had a meeting to finalise Nations Cup procedures so it would flow like clockwork. The first two rounds are this evening with a delayed start - now at
6.30 p.m. because of the evening and the lighting being turned on. Still warm and humid but the rain has stayed away which is good. All the teams looking immaculate in their uniforms but with coats being deemed optional because of the heat. As Australia was fourth rider out it gave us time to see how the course was riding – most riders taking a wide course and incurring time faults. Alison our first rider set up the team with a clear round on faults and time – in fact only one of two clears in the first round - Kate and
Shay no time faults but rails, with Elise clear but incurring 3 time faults – total of 12 penalties. At that stage a lead of 9 faults from Canada on 21, Hong Kong on 22, USA on
27, and New Zealand on 30 penalties.
Round two – the rails go up 5cm – for Australia not such a good result with 28 penalties for the round giving a total of 40 penalties for the two rounds – but still in front by 4 from
Canada on 44, and USA 49 penalties followed by Hong Kong 76 and New Zealand
111penalties. Eliminated riders were allowed to stay in the competition by incurring penalties – the highest number of any individual rider for the round + 20 extra penalties.
The final two rounds were the next morning commencing at 8.00 a.m. Down to the stables early for plaiting – Kate had a watchful audience from the Chinese grooms who had never seen this happen before!
No use dwelling on our narrow lead – it was time to be positive and with further fences raised it was a matter of how fit the horses were to cope with the final two rounds.
Alison totaled 20 penalties with a refusal and 4 rails to give the other teams some heart that maybe Australia was beatable!! Canada was breathing down our neck with some excellent riding but the USA had some problems with lots of rails and an elimination to their 3 rd rider to make the battle between Australia and Canada. Kate with 4 penalties and Shay and Elise with clear rounds kept our nose in front by 2 penalties – just too nail biting. Shortened course – 7 fences - the draw now was from the team with the highest penalties to the team with the least penalties and that was Australia. The girls held their

nerve to come in with 12 penalties for the round with excellent clear rounds from Shay and Elise again to make it double clears for the morning. Canada also had two clear rounds in the 4 th round but the other two riders managed to incur 28 penalties giving
Australia a lead of 18 penalties.
A great result for all the dedicated riding by Alison, Kate, Shay and Elise and great coaching from Jan Morland.
The presentation of the Nations Cup was next on the programme in the indoor arena and the President of the ground jury Mr. Gerald Kuh presented the shield to the Australian
Team – it was a grand occasion for us.
Our time in China was almost complete and Wednesday morning it was packing and loading the bus for the across border excursion again – leaving China and re-entering
Hong Kong. Our compliments must be given to the manager of Camelot – Mr Phillip
Sun and his staff who made our stay so comfortable and enjoyable and to the few English speaking staff who persevered with our accents and were able to work out our requests.
To the grooms who were no doubt amazed at the professionalism of the teams in preparing and riding of their horses. Phillip Sun made the statement that he enjoyed very

much having the teams love his horses as much as he did – which was a great compliment..
The final days in Hong Kong were taken up with sight seeing and last minute shopping before the farewell dinner on the Thursday evening. Jan and I managed to survive a black rainstorm on the Thursday evening getting caught in the underground station with a million other people as they shut the exits when it is raining – only allowing people in.!
The farewell dinner was hosted by the Hong Kong Pony club and many tributes were paid by the visitors to the organisors of the IPE in particular to Kate Budge a parent. Peta
Duncalf their team manager and Mr. Nick Rogers the Acting District Comissioner for a fantastic event. Well done Hong Kong Pony Club.
Thanks also to Margie Davidson past admin officer for PCA for her assistance with uniforms and travel arrangments – especially the polo shirts which were the envy of the other teams – so smart and cool.
.