(BEIJING, November 5) -- The Hong Kong Jockey Club spent over 800 million HKD (approx. 103 million US dollars) and completed the equestrian venues and logistic establishment in less than two years, said Kim Mak, the Executive Director of Corporate Development of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Mak made the remarks at an Olympic forum here on Monday. He asserted that Hong Kong has used original ideas to build the very modern competition venues for the Olympic Equestrian events in a short period of time.

"The Hong Kong Jockey Club has rich experience in hosting international events with its laboratory, which is widely recognized throughout the world. It also has horse hospitals with advanced equipment and scientific horse nursing and quarantine procedures. All these will attract excellent horses and athletes to Hong Kong for the competitions," Mak said.

There are two venues for the Equestrian events of the 2008 Olympic Games: the Jumping and Dressage events will take place at the Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue; the Cross Country test of the Eventing competition will take place at the Beas River Olympic Equestrian Venue.

The core venue for the Jumping and Dressage events is a 100-meter x 80-meter all-weather sand arena, with a capacity for 18,000 spectators. This venue will be converted from the Hong Kong Sports Institute and the Sha Tin Racecourse. The cross country venue was converted from the Beas River Country Club and the adjacent Hong Kong Golf Club. It includes a 5.7-km temporary cross country track 10 meters in width.

The venues have reached new world standards in terms of cost effectiveness, quality, and environmental protection. Environmentally friendly materials were mostly used in the construction, in line with the Olympic organizers' effort to present "Green" Olympic Games to the world.