After the formal announcement of the relocation of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events (the Events) to Hong Kong on July 8, 2005, an organising committee — Equestrian Committee (Hong Kong) of Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (Equestrian Committee) — was established. The Chief Executive is the patron and the Chief Secretary for Administration, the president of the Equestrian Committee. A steering committee supported by six coordination committees was also set up to help expedite the planning of the events and to facilitate coordination among the different bureaux, departments and non-government agencies involved in organising the events. The executive arm of the Equestrian Committee — the Equestrian Events (Hong Kong) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Company Limited (Equestrian Company) — registered under the Companies Ordinance, was formed in February to implement the day-to-day work involved in organising the events in accordance with the Equestrian Committee's decisions and directives. In addition, a trust fund — the 2008 Beijing Olympic Equestrian Events Hong Kong Fund — was established to raise money to support education, culture and community involvement activities to promote Olympism and the events.

A document setting out the working arrangement between the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government for preparing and organising the events was signed in Beijing on August 31. The BOCOG is responsible for providing funding for direct cost of the events, while HKSAR Government is responsible for providing the institutional framework for organising the events and for such matters as security, medical services, quarantine, immigration, and for cultivating an Olympic atmosphere in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is responsible for the design and construction of the two competition venues with the main venue being located in Sha Tin and in Beas River and to give advice on equine matters.

The import arrangement for horses participating in the events was announced in March by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), and the Operation Manual on Quarantine and Biosecurity Measures was uploaded onto the AFCD website during the year. A ceremony to mark the start of the two-year countdown to the events was held on August 8, co-hosted by the Government and the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China. An 'Equestrian Events' website, www.equestrian2008.org and a programme for enrolling volunteers for the events were launched by the Equestrian Company in November.

The Equestrian Committee has been working closely with BOCOG, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Federation ?questre Internationale (FEI) to make the events a green, high-tech and a people's Olympics. Delegations from IOC, BOCOG and FEI visited Hong Kong between August 14 and 15 and were pleased with the progress made. Representatives of the National Olympic Committees of Germany, New Zealand, Brazil, Ireland and the Netherlands also visited Hong Kong during the year.

The major task ahead is to organise the Test Event in August 2007 and to implement a comprehensive educational, cultural and community involvement programme.