Venezuelan rider-turned-course designer, Leopoldo Palacios has been contracted by the Jockey Club to design fences for the upcoming 2008 Equestrian Jumping Olympics that are to be held in Hong Kong.
Palacios intends to use his fence designs to showcase the beauty of Hong Kong to the rest of the world with motifs from its monuments, architectures, nature and handicraft, as well as the way of life of that country.
From the Great Wall of China to the lovable Panda Bear are motifs that will be considered for use at the Olympic equestrian competition.
Palacios is no stranger to the Olympics. He performed the same task for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, and looks forward to the challenge again.
“I have to be more careful. I am not a Chinese, not from Hong Kong. What I think is a good way to adapt the fence design may not be appreciated by the Chinese in the same way”, he said.
Palacios intends to design 45 to 50 fences for the games. Each fence is expected to cost about $8,000 and all designs will be ready by the middle of this year.
Mr Palacios said he would also consider local input from a fence-design competition held by the Hong Kong Equestrian Company. The contest closes later this month.
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