China’s Equestrian Market: Growth, Consolidation and Continued Demand for European Sport Horses
- Starfield Equestrian Team
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Participation and international competition are expanding, while China’s domestic supply of experienced sport horses is still catching up.
Showjumping competition in China. Image source: Yicai.[11]
China’s equestrian market is no longer defined simply by rapid expansion. It is entering a more mature phase—one characterised by a broader participation base, a denser competition calendar and greater demand for quality, safety and performance.
For European and British equestrian businesses, the important point is not merely that China has more riders and clubs than it did a decade ago. It is that a growing number of Chinese riders are progressing from recreational lessons to horse ownership and competition, while the domestic supply of suitably bred and professionally produced sport horses remains limited.
A broader—and increasingly professional—participation base
China’s national horse industry development plan reported that, by 2020, the country had more than one million horse owners, riders and equestrian enthusiasts, over 2,000 registered equestrian associations and clubs, and more than 500,000 horses used for equestrian sport and leisure riding.[1]
Industry surveys provide further evidence of the longer-term expansion. The number of equestrian clubs identified in China increased from 907 in 2016 to 2,815 in 2024.[2][3] These figures come from industry surveys rather than a unified government census, so they should be treated as directional rather than perfectly comparable. Nevertheless, they indicate a market that is now several times larger institutionally than it was in the mid-2010s.
The most recent data also point to consolidation rather than uninterrupted growth. The 2024 total was 280 lower than in 2021, suggesting that weaker operators have exited while established clubs increasingly compete on coaching quality, horse welfare, safety and customer retention.[3]
The professional pipeline is developing alongside the club network. China’s 2024 Horse Industry Survey identified 22 institutions offering horse-related academic programmes and approximately 2,938 graduates in that year.[3] This is an encouraging sign for the future supply of coaches, stable managers, veterinarians and other specialists, although experienced senior professionals remain in relatively short supply.
International competition is expanding quickly
The clearest measure of China’s integration into international equestrian sport is the recent growth recorded by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). China hosted eight FEI events in 2023, rising to 20 in 2024 and 21 in 2025. Over the same period, the number of FEI-registered Chinese athletes increased from 479 to 908, while registered horses rose from 594 to 1,393.[4] That represents growth of approximately 90% in registered athletes and 135% in registered horses between 2023 and 2025. FEI events increased by more than 160%.[4]
These annual registration figures are not cumulative, but the direction is clear: more Chinese riders and horses are entering internationally regulated competition. This creates demand not only for competition horses, but also for experienced coaches, grooms, veterinarians, transport specialists and competition-management expertise.
The domestic competition calendar is also becoming denser. The 2024 industry survey recorded 283 provincial-level or higher competitions across showjumping, dressage, eventing and endurance, compared with 267 in 2023.[3]
Why China continues to import sport horses
China does not lack horses. It lacks a sufficient domestic supply of horses bred, selected and produced specifically for modern equestrian sport. China’s national development plan recorded a population of 3.67 million horses in 2019. However, much of this population was concentrated in traditional horse-breeding and pastoral regions and was not directly aligned with the requirements of showjumping, dressage and eventing.[1]
The same government plan provides an unusually direct assessment of the supply gap. It states that horses used for competition are mainly dependent on overseas imports and that the domestic supply of sport horses is insufficient. It also identifies several structural weaknesses:
limited specialised sport-horse bloodlines;
insufficient performance testing and systematic breeding records;
gaps between breeding, training, competition and commercial sale;
shortages of experienced trainers and equine veterinary professionals; and
comparatively underdeveloped early training and professional horse production.[1]
Producing a successful sport horse is a long-cycle process. It requires coordinated breeding selection, young-horse handling, veterinary care, progressive training, competition exposure and reliable performance records. Building that system takes considerably longer than opening new riding clubs or expanding a competition calendar.
Import data reflect this continuing requirement. Under customs category HS 010119—live horses other than pure-bred breeding animals—China imported 1,185 horses worth approximately US$28.5 million in 2023. The Netherlands supplied 804 horses and Belgium supplied 149, together accounting for just over 80% of the reported import volume in this category.[5]
In 2024, imports under the same category increased to 1,384 horses, with a reported value of approximately US$29.8 million.[6] The customs category is broader than “sport horses”, so these figures should not be interpreted as the exact size of China’s sport-horse import market. They do, however, demonstrate the continuing importance of overseas horse supply and the particularly strong position of continental Europe.
What this means for European and British partners
Continental Europe currently has the clearest commercial advantage. Its established warmblood breeding systems, young-horse competitions, professional dealers and export infrastructure are closely aligned with Chinese demand, and this is visible in the import data.
The United Kingdom also has an active export pathway. A bilateral agreement opening the Chinese market to British horses was announced in 2014, and the UK government continues to maintain Export Health Certificate 7686 for horses exported to China.[9][10] However, an available regulatory route does not automatically create commercial scale. Horse sourcing, quarantine planning, transport, local representation and after-sales support all influence whether the route is practical for buyers.
China’s market opportunity should therefore be understood as a long-term capability gap rather than a short-term sales boom. Participation and competition have grown faster than the domestic system’s ability to produce experienced, competition-ready horses at scale.
For European and British equestrian businesses, the strongest proposition is not simply access to horses. It is access to trustworthy horses supported by professional knowledge: realistic assessment, appropriate rider matching, transparent veterinary history, carefully managed transport and continued support after arrival. That is where international experience can create lasting value as China’s equestrian market enters its next stage of development.
References
[1] Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and General Administration of Sport of China. National Horse Industry Development Plan (2020–2025), 2020.https://www.moa.gov.cn/govpublic/xmsyj/202009/t20200929_6353503.htm
[2] Beijing Equestrian Association and Horsemanship Magazine. 2016 China Equestrian Industry Survey, presented at the 2016 Beijing International Horse Industry Forum; survey findings subsequently reported by Chinese industry and government media.
[3] Horsemanship Magazine. 2024 China Horse Industry Survey Report, published 2025. The report discloses that some findings are based on industry questionnaire samples and should be regarded as indicative.https://www.horsemanship.com.cn/article-83-1.html
[4] Fédération Equestre Internationale. Chinese Equestrian Association—National Federation Statistics. Completed-year data for 2023–2025; figures are live and may be revised by the FEI. Accessed 27 August 2026.https://data.fei.org/NFPages/NF/Details/Federation/27/CHINESE-EQUESTRIAN-ASSOCIATION
[5] World Bank World Integrated Trade Solution, based on UN Comtrade. China Imports of Live Horses Other Than Pure-bred Breeding Animals, HS 010119, 2023.https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/CHN/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/010119
[6] UN Comtrade / World Integrated Trade Solution. China Imports of Live Horses Other Than Pure-bred Breeding Animals, HS 010119, 2024. Customs classification includes horses used for purposes other than equestrian sport and should not be interpreted as a dedicated sport-horse category.https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/CHN/year/2024/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/010119
[7] State Council of the People’s Republic of China. National Fitness Plan (2016–2020), 2016.https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2016-06/23/content_5084564.htm
[8] General Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Fitness and Leisure Industry, 2016.https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2016-10/28/content_5125475.htm
[9] UK Government. £10 Million Chinese Thoroughbred Horse Deal Announced, 2014.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10-million-chinese-thoroughbred-horse-deal-announced
[10] UK Government. Export Horses to China: Certificate 7686. Last updated 28 August 2024.https://www.gov.uk/export-health-certificates/export-horses-to-china-certificate-7686
[11] Yicai. Original image and related article.https://www.yicai.com/news/102853857.html
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