By Terrence Voon

SINGAPOREANS will have a $24 million reason to saddle up next September.

That is when the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre - the venue for the equestrian events at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) - will be completed.

But the 3ha facility at Kranji is more than just a competition venue. Its main goal is to promote riding to young Singaporeans at affordable prices.

Horse-riding is currently an expensive pastime in Singapore.

Riders have to be members of private clubs, or sign up for lessons at commercial riding facilities, which charge between $80 and $120 for a 45-minute ride.

'Over the years, riding has remained largely an activity out of reach for many Singaporeans,' said Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua, who officiated at the centre's launch yesterday.

'With the opening of the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre, where the fees of $15 to $75 for a 45-minute ride are a fraction of the commercial charges, riding will be made more accessible to many Singaporeans.'

Located next to the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji, the new centre will be the country's biggest riding facility.

It will feature two world-class riding arenas, classrooms, as well as a viewing gallery that can seat up to 250 people.

The centre will also have 40 trained ponies and horses, as well as a team of six instructors.

Its structured programmes comprise theory and practical lessons, camps and inter-school competitions.

The Singapore Turf Club (STC) is footing the $24 million bill for the new facility as part of its community outreach programme.

The aim, said STC chairman Tan Guong Ching, is to introduce riding programmes to schools as a co-curricular activity.

'About 80 to 90 per cent of our capacity is dedicated to schoolchildren,' he noted. 'The rest is set aside for adults, as well as promising riders, who can take part in international competitions.'

About 100 schoolchildren from about eight primary and secondary schools have already signed up for lessons.

Amongst the early birds is Shuqun Secondary, which will have 10 students in the pioneer batch of riders.

They will undergo 40 lessons, which will cost about $1,000 per student.

The school will pay 90 per cent of the fees, which means that each student will pay just $2.50 for every lesson on horseback.

Said Adrian Tan, head of department for the school's Normal (Technical) stream: 'I think it's very worth it, because this is something fresh and interesting for our students.

'There's a lot of room for them to learn life skills, like patience and respect for animals.'

Former national rider and honorary secretary of the Equestrian Federation of Singapore Monique Heah is hopeful that the new facility will also help boost the pool of talented riders in Singapore.

She said: 'There are only about 10 active riders in the national team and we need better numbers.

'This centre will hopefully encourage more young people to take up the sport.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 2, 2008.

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