Bridge Builders:
Alex Hua Tian

The Olympian who wants to reconnect China with the horse

CREDIT: Elizabeth Mearns, Gary Parkinson, Luo Chen

Imagine someone hands you a telephone, introduces you to a caller named Alex, and asks you to guess his heritage. Given his perfectly phrased, impeccably delivered English accent, you might suspect he went to a prime school – Eton, perhaps – after being brought up in one of the prosperous 'Home Counties' that surround London.

You'd be half-right, because Alex Hua Tian did indeed attend Eton College, as did Princes William and Harry and no fewer than 20 British Prime Ministers. But you may be astonished to learn that your caller was a Chinese Olympic event rider, raised in Beijing and Hong Kong, who says he used to have a discernible Aussie accent. "Hard to believe now," he wryly smiles.

Besides his cross-cultural upbringing, Hua Tian has also spanned the world in his equestrian career. He has competed in three Olympics – in Beijing, Rio and Tokyo – along with winning medals at two Asian Games in Jakarta and Incheon.

And while he comes across as every inch the English gentleman – graciously complying with every filming request as he shows CGTN around the stables in leafy Cheshire, northwest England, which serves as the training base for him and his partner Sarah Higgins, a dressage rider and trainer – he retains a strong identification with his childhood home.

"I come from a dual-heritage background," he explains. "My father's Chinese, my mother's British. I grew up on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong until I was 11 years old." And although he has since been based in the UK "for school and for sport," he has traveled back to China "very regularly. I still have a lot of family in China, I have business interests in China, and many of my supporters and horse owners are based in China."

This is not just a man of culture. This is a man of two cultures.

Early days

Hua Tian's grandparents.

Hua Shan and Sarah Noble married in 1987.

Hua Shan married Sarah Noble in 1987.

"My father comes from quite an interesting family," reflects Hua Tian with what turns out to be impeccable English understatement. "My grandfather was an ace in the Chinese air force and my grandmother was one of the first female doctors in China. They met when my grandfather was shot down in North Korea during the Korean War."

The couple had four daughters and a son, Hua Shan, who would meet his future wife Sarah Noble at China's oldest and largest trade fair during the 1980s. Again, people were being thrown together by fate and a changing world – although rather more peacefully than the previous generation.

"My mom did Chinese at university in the UK and went out to Hong Kong to work," says Hua Tian. "And when they met at the Canton Fair, it really was the only place where Western businesses and Chinese businesses could trade at that time. And their relationship developed as China opened up."

Alex Hua Tian was born in London in 1989 and brought up with a very Chinese respect for older generations, maintaining a connection with a country he left at the turn of the millennium.

'Any ambition I have probably comes from my Chinese roots.'

"Talking to my grandparents and parents about their different experiences through China has been an amazing part of my upbringing for both myself and my brother, having lived the majority of our lives outside of China," he reflects. "It's been very interesting for us to have those roots and those stories that really connect us."

Given China's recent history, it has also given Alex and his brother Jamie a sense of perspective. "To understand the stories and to get a sense firsthand from my grandfather and grandmother, the challenges and the difficulties that they went through in their generation to give us what we have in our generation, was an amazing thing to listen to."

He acknowledges that the brothers felt "quite a culture shock" when moving to the UK for school, even though they'd been in Hong Kong's international schools – that's where the Aussie twang came in, ironed out during further education at a Salisbury prep school and then Eton.

"Going from day school on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong to board in the UK is a big challenge, a challenge that a lot of Chinese students face," he says, acknowledging that "growing up with that dual heritage and both languages helped out a huge amount."

So did the family's footloose nature. "Having grown up in lots of different cities, my parents working in other cities, not always being around them 100 percent of the time, already gave me and my brother a sense of independence. Boarding and being with our friends and being in that kind of environment, we really enjoyed it."

Elite private boarding schools like Eton and Harrow are often seen as the crucibles of the English establishment, granting pupils the confidence to strive for greatness. However, high-achieving Hua Tian insists that "Any ambition I have probably comes from my Chinese roots. Culturally, Chinese parents were always very ambitious for their children, and my father certainly is."

Onto horseback

If the father provided the drive to succeed, the mother provided the arena for excellence.

"My mom came from a very traditionally British horsey family, so growing up in Beijing, I spent most afternoons with my mom at the stables, whether I was in a pram and just chilling in the stables or starting to ride when I was four years old. So for me, it was a very, very horsey upbringing, just in lots of different parts of the world."

Such variety did wonders for the budding young horseman. "Riding in China had a huge benefit to my riding now – we had a much broader base of learning," he says.

'It's the ultimate sport, in testing that partnership between horse and rider.'

"You didn't have your own horse or your own pony, so you had to learn to ride lots of different ponies. And you had to experience lots of different sports, which I think made you a much broader rider and also much more versatile and able to deal with different personalities of horses."

Hua Tian has learned never to take horses for granted. "You're working with big, powerful, emotional animals that have, over millions of years, evolved to run away from you," he says. "Somehow you have to work with them, trust one another to a point where you're able to challenge yourselves as a partnership to compete in these amazing competitions.

"In my sport of eventing, we have three different phases – the dressage, the showjumping, and the cross-country. And to me, it's the ultimate challenge and the ultimate sport, in testing that partnership between horse and rider. It pushes you physically and mentally to the absolute ultimate."

He sees the sport as teaching valuable life lessons. "You learn very quickly about how strong and how weak you are. You learn patience, you learn teamwork, you learn dedication, you learn resilience. And I think these are all values that are important to whatever you want to do to a high, high level."

Hua Tian learned to ride early in Hong Kong.

The teenage Hua Tian showed great promise.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

With the Chinese equestrian team at the Tokyo Olympics.

Riding for China

While many may aim for the highest levels, few get there – but Hua Tian was a teenage Olympian, so young that he had to take a year out of his Eton studies to prepare for Beijing 2008. (He later postponed studies for a degree in aerotechnology engineering to focus on qualification for London 2012.)

"The Beijing Olympics happened to be when I was going to be 18 years old," he says, as if it were a minor issue, before noting that "Nobody had competed in my sport at that age before."

Representing China was "a very natural decision for me," he says, and not just on his father's side. "My mum, even though she is very British, is also very Chinese in many ways – she's lived and worked in China for many years, her spoken Chinese is incredible, she's very proud of the time that she spent in China."

'The whole population felt like they were invested in the Games.'

It also gave him another chance to connect with that beloved heritage. "When I was at school here in the UK, my Chinese half felt very obvious and exposed – and I felt personally that riding for China was the right thing for me."

If it was groundbreaking for him, it was also groundbreaking for China. "I was excited by the idea of riding for a country that never had representation in that sport before. And I think for a lot of people outside of China, it's very difficult to understand how important the Beijing Olympics were to Chinese people.

"It was perfect timing in terms of national confidence, making that kind of statement to the global audiences that China is here, Chinese people are here, and not only are we open and excited to be part of a global sporting event like the Olympic Games, but to be hosting it.

"I've never felt that sense going to other championships and other Olympics – where the whole population felt like they were invested in the Games themselves. And that was a very exciting thing for a young 18-year-old boy to be a part of."

One reason was the totality of China's sporting involvement in the Games the country hosted. "We were able to be represented in all sports," he recalls. "As Chinese citizens, we expect to be competitive in table tennis, we expect to be competitive in gymnastics, but we had representatives in sport that China has never been traditionally strong in or never even had representation in."

It's a breakthrough that, Hua Tian believes, changed the country's mindset. "From 2008, it's not just been a question in sports, it's been many other spheres within culture and arts that have had this burgeoning growth – reliant on growth and prosperity and opportunity, but also in terms of representation."

Development and learning

Alex Hua Tian with his horse. /Alex Hua Tian.

Hua Tian's subsequent sporting experiences have also been richly rewarding, including the recent Tokyo Olympics, which he felt proved how far his sport has evolved in China. "That was a really exciting moment for Chinese equestrianism – it represents how quickly the sport is growing in China," he says.

"To be able to have the strength and depth of riders and horses from China competing at the Olympic Games; to be able to field a team in my sport, eventing, but also a team in showjumping, on merit, is a really exciting achievement for our country."

Hua Tian was the first Chinese rider to be registered with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, but the sport has grown hugely in China since his Olympic debut. Its continued development is something for which he feels "a sense of responsibility" and is "very, very passionate about." Indeed, he feels it goes beyond sport and into a reunion with a historical ally.

"China has a huge history and connection with the horse that we've lost, that we have an opportunity to regain," he explains. "Growing up with horses, I understand what it's given me in terms of character education, and I want as many children in China to have the same opportunity. It will take time, but it's growing very quickly."

Asian Games medalist, 2018.

The horsemanship movement

The horsemanship program teaches the values of respect, responsibility and compassion.

Children are taught to care for and understand horses.

Shanghai schoolchildren get horsemanship rosettes.

This isn't just empty talk: Hua Tian is among those driving the change. "We have a couple of initiatives. We have the horsemanship program, which gives children from all backgrounds an opportunity to meet horses and to understand the values of equestrianism. The culture behind equestrian sport is that it's all about trust, partnership, respect, responsibility and compassion.

"For children who perhaps haven't had the opportunity to connect to nature and to animals – but especially to bigger animals, animals where you have to place your trust in them for your safety – I think it's a powerful opportunity to learn these really important values.

"The values of horsemanship – respect, responsibility, compassion – can be extended to all relationships and can extend and improve understanding everywhere."

He also thinks the children will learn more through experience than dry lecturing.

"Let's be honest, parents and teachers, if you mentioned the word respect to children, they'd switch off immediately. But spending hours with ponies and horses, it's something that you learn naturally without having to be told what it means."

The language of equestrian sport

While children may learn naturally, Hua Tian clearly thinks deeply about sport and culture – hence the two programs he's helping with, which he clearly delineates. "'The Horsemanship Movement' is very much about the values behind equestrianism, the culture of the sport.

"'The Language of Equestrian Sport' is much more information-focused about all the different sports – showjumping, dressage, eventing – and all of the different professions: the horse care, the grooms, the vets, the farriers, the physios, the whole team that goes into looking after a horse and making sure the horse performs on the day you need it to perform.

"They are both programs that we feel will help children and families really understand what the sport is about and who are the people that are part of it.

"And I think for new equestrian markets like China, where the vast majority of families and children who are joining into the sport are new to the sport, it's really important to go to that degree of explanation because the sport has depth, it has culture, and we're dealing with a big sensitive animal. So it's very different to many other sports."

According to the Chinese Equestrianism Association, the Beijing Olympics helped to mushroom the total number of China's equestrian clubs from around 300 to more like 1,500. Meanwhile the total number of participants grew tenfold in a decade ago, with around two-thirds of them being teenagers.

"China has had such a strong connection with the horse in its history, and I think China is starting to redevelop that connection again with modern equestrian sports. Equestrian sport is perfectly placed to develop and grow in China. It has an aspirational image and we have very aspirational families that want to take part in it – but whilst it has this slightly misrepresented elitist image, in its traditional countries it has breadth and depth through all parts of society and has so much to give to so many different people.

'Equestrian sport is beautifully placed to grow within China.'

"I think it will develop at the grassroots and be part of so many Chinese families' lives. But also I have great hopes for its development at the top level of sport. And I think China will be, you know, maybe not in the next five to 10 years, but certainly after that, I think China will be up there in the medals in all three of the equestrian disciplines.

"Equestrian sport is beautifully placed within China to be able to grow," he says, "and I think it's very important to make sure that it's sustainable, healthy growth: families and children understand what the sport is about when they join that journey as grass roots riders and perhaps become passionate long-term riders, professional riders."

Among the riders gaining experience at Hua Tian's Cheshire stables is "an up-and-coming dressage rider for China, competing internationally at Grand Prix." It's typical of his vision.

"It's very important that we give younger riders from China that international exposure of what the sport is like on a global level," he says, seeing his stables as providing a "west of Europe" base. "It's important for Chinese sports, but it's also important for the global sport to welcome younger Chinese riders and to nurture that growth."

A student bonds with a horse at the The Language of Equestrian Sport Summer Camp 2021. /Team Alex/ Alex Hua Tian

At summer camp children learn all the aspects of equestrian care.. /Team Alex

A bridge between cultures

Alex Hua Tian at Eton College.

Asked for his favorite thing about Chinese culture, Hu Tian answers in common with many bridge builders: Food. "Food is the most important part of Chinese culture. We have so many other important elements, of course, family as well. But to me, it all comes together around the dinner table and around the incredible food and regional cuisines. It's the main topic of conversation, to be honest."

He's also a big fan of tai chi. "It's such an ancient part of Chinese culture, but it's still so relevant in the 21st century in China – you walk around Beijing, Shanghai or all of these different places, and you see families, children, adults, especially older generations, practicing tai chi. It's all about health, about peace of mind, and outside of China it's growing in popularity. It's something that I think the rest of the world can take a lot out of."

What, then, does he admire about his other heritage, British culture? "British humor, British wit, a little bit of sarcasm, a little bit of understatement," he smiles. "You can be riding a horse out in the countryside and absolutely drenched through to the bone, come back to the yard and say 'It's a bit damp out there, isn't it?'"

Being part of two cultures also allows Hua Tian to say what he finds most curious about each of them. "The most curious thing about Chinese culture is all of the definite names for family members. In British culture, 'grandmother' can be either grandmother, 'cousin' who could be anybody – we could be cousins, to be honest. Whereas in China, every single family member has a very specific name.

"And not only is it difficult to learn, but I think it really demonstrates the importance of family in Chinese culture as well. But it's also something that, from my half British side, always amuses me slightly."

'There is a responsibility on everybody to try and understand.'

In the other direction, it's an oft-cited quirk of Britishness that catches his eye.

"The thing that always amuses me about British culture is the love for queuing. British people love to queue. In fact, I sometimes think if British people see a queue, it's almost magnetic – British people queue just in case there's something important at the end of it."

Hua Tian says in comparison to the British, Chinese people don't always queue. "When the train platform is announced in a Chinese train station, it's a free-for-all, it's a mad dash and it's every man for themselves. And the funniest thing is observing a British person in that situation who's maybe just arrived in China and seeing the horror on their face – that there's no queuing and that there's no system for getting there in an orderly manner. Makes me laugh a lot."

Clearly not everyone is as well-placed as Hua Tian to understand both cultures, but he would love for more mutual intelligibility – and calls on both sides for action.

"To increase understanding between cultures, patience and time are really important, but I think the most important thing is responsibility. I think there tends to be a feeling that it's not your responsibility to understand, it's for somebody else to explain to you why.

"Certainly with a large, complex, difficult to understand culture like China, I think as Chinese people, we have some responsibility to explain and to discuss; but I think for the world outside of China, considering how important China will be to everybody, there is a responsibility on everybody to try and understand as well."

He acknowledges the importance of outreach in striving toward that goal. "Bridge building is crucial. Without individuals and organizations helping to build that underlying critical mass of fundamental understanding, it's very difficult to build the momentum that's needed for broader understanding. You need those core few people to build trust and relationships."

Typically, he's not one to take credit for his own part in bridge-building; asked about it, he falls back to talking about the world he knows and loves best.

"Day in, day out at the stables, I build bridges with my horses and without that initial understanding, without those core individuals or organizations building the underlying fundamental understanding, you can't then build breadth and depth on top.

"And I think that's why those individuals and those organizations are so important, especially in this very complex, hyperconnected world nowadays. Understanding unity is so, so important. It's always been important, but it's even more important now."

Millennia of horsemanship

Take a moment to ponder the relationship between humans and horses. We have learned to work with these powerful, wild, often unpredictable animals. Together, we can pelt along at up to 70 kilometers per hour, clearing jumps up to eight meters wide – or even over obstacles more than two meters high, even if we cannot see the other side.

None of this came easily, but the rewards have been great. Horses have helped humans travel great distances, conquer enemies, widen territories, establish trade routes and begin industrial revolutions.

In return, horses have been well cared for, trained and treated well, and – over centuries – carefully bred to improve characteristics like speed or power. Together, we have become greater than either species could have managed individually.

"Horses are very important in the progress of human civilization," the Canada-China International Horse Culture Association founder and chairman Zhang Hao tells CGTN. "Horse culture is also a world language, and in China it has a long history: in petroglyphs from 5,000 years ago, we see images of horses and people together."

Zhang cites the world-famous Terracotta Army, including hundreds of horses, which have protected the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang for 2,200 years. But in China, you don't have to be mighty to have horses close to your heart: the word is on your lips from infancy.

"马 Ma, the Chinese character for horse, is an important part of Chinese culture – all Chinese people use the character almost every day," explains Zhang. "The first word that every child speaks is 妈妈 – meaning 'Mom' – which consists of the characters representing 'horse' and 'female'. And Chinese people use a lot of idioms and phrases with Ma (horse)."

Zhang notes that in China, the horse goes back not just to every child's infancy but the country's deep history: "Chinese history can be divided into the nomadic civilization and the agricultural civilization." In each situation, the horse had utility – permitting greater coverage or higher yield – and it is perhaps with specialization in mind that China has a long history of horse breeding.

"There are 29 local horse breeds in China," says Zhang. "The Mongolian horse is very characteristic – not tall, but the bone is relatively strong and wear-resistant. The horse is also cold-resistant and disease resistance is also very high, so it brings vitality and is particularly tenacious."

With such a long history, it's perhaps a surprise that Chinese participation in equestrian events was vanishingly rare before the Beijing Olympics. Zhang has a theory as to why that is, noting that European horsemanship branched out from utility into sport a very long time ago.

"Equestrianism in Europe has undergone hundreds of years of participation and improvement – horse-drawn carriages were contested in ancient times," he says. "Modern equestrian competition was all a huge cultural project that gradually became a norm."

A case in point is the relatively recent establishment of the Chinese Equestrian Association, of which Zhang is an official, in 1979. "There was no long-term preparation – including human preparation, cultural preparation, horse preparation, debugging the relationship between horses and people – for equestrian sports to reach the Olympic level," says Zhang.

"However, the reform and opening up has paved the way for the horse culture of the entire Chinese nation to move from a traditional form to a modernized form – to enter the Olympics and many advancements in the horse's cultural industry."

Given that late start, Chinese equestrianism has come a long way very quickly – for various reasons, says Zhang. "One is developing rapidly. The second is learning. The third is prospect planning – talent development. There are colleges and universities that specialize in equestrian majors. Without the training of talents, there will be no future for Chinese equestrianism, and this training is comprehensive."

With typical efficiency and determination, China has also pressed ahead with construction – and is still aiming high. "You see a brand that has just been built is the establishment of the Shanghai Equestrian Valley, on the edge of the Huangpu River in Shanghai," he says. " A venue that can accommodate 5,000 spectators and host five-star global equestrian competitions, it will be completed in two years."

With thousands of equestrian clubs springing up across China, it seems the country's long-lasting relationship with the horse is gearing up to an impressive gallop.