Jumping Fences to Project Chinese and Hong Kong Identity

As one of the side attractions of the Olympic Jumping competitions, the fences used in the Jumping Discipline have, in the recent Olympics, been designed to reflect the identity of the host country. This adds both visual attraction and cultural meaning to the event.

This is why world-renowned jumping course designers are commissioned to design the fences in the Jumping contests – to make sure that the fences give the most comprehensive portrayal of the host country’s cultural characteristics while complying with both the requirements of the competition and international safety standards.

As the organiser of the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events in Hong Kong, the Olympic Equestrian Company is inviting both amateur and professional designers from Hong Kong and overseas to take part in the Jumping Fence Design Competition. To give special encouragement to the student community, we are reaching out to every school in Hong Kong, distributing promotional leaflets and CDs so that they will spread the message to the students.

Publicity leaflet targeted at schools and students

To share with the public the brilliant designs of previous Olympic Jumping fences, we have added a special section to our website to highlight the fence designs of both the Sydney and Athens Olympics in 2000 and 2004 respectively, with brief descriptions of each fence.

The Sydney fences, designed by Leopoldo Palacios Jugo from Argentina, featured a wide variety of Australian motifs, including Australian architecture, natural scenery, animals and plants, and even a notorious criminal.

The Athens fences, crafted by German designer Olaf Petersen, highlighted a range of Greek themes such as Greek inventions, buildings, coins, fishing boats, as well as legendary objects.