Wet weather seems to be latest in world meteorology and if heavy rain is falling in many spots of the planet, Hong Kong, where tropical storm Pabuk made his presence felt, is certainly one of them.

The Dressage phase of the Good Luck Beijing – HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup Competition serving as test event for next year’s Olympic Games was held this morning. The rain however did not prove a problem to the competitors. “The rain doesn’t matter,” said German rider Andreas Ostholt, the younger brother of team Eventing world champion Frank Ostholt, who is also in Hong Kong. “The weather was no problem; it’s no different to Germany.”

Because of the poor visibility, the competition took place under floodlights but this did not present difficulties either. Bruce Davidson Jr., a member of the USA team, son and namesake of the five-time American Olympian said, “The lighting is perfect and is situated in a good place.” The smoothly running organisation was unanimously given thumbs up and the way the sport went, the surrounding logistics and the condition of the horses can be considered a success. Some elements, such as communications and the traffic flow to the stable, still need to be ironed out but overall preparations are very much on schedule.

John Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club which is providing the facilities for the competition, said he was pleased with the response from the participating teams.

“So far the feedback has been extremely positive,” he said. “We have stood the test of the weather and the stabling facilities have been very well received. We will review the experiences to see if any improvements need to be made.”

The FEI President, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, is also present in Hong Kong. She toured the facilities in company of Hong Kong officials and watched today's competition.

Sixteen horses started today as one horse, the Irish Kincluny ridden by Sarah Wardell, did not pass the horse inspection.

The results after Dressage in this CCI 2* are as follows:

Dirk Schrade (GER) / Grand Amour - 48.8 penalty points
Anna Junkmann (GER) / Cancun - 51.2
Caroline Moore (GBR) / Don Giovanni II – 51.6

The event will resume tomorrow at 9h30 Hong Kong time (GMT + 8h) with the Cross Country phase.

For more information on the test event, please visit the official website www.equestrian2007.org.