Gambling may be illegal in mainland China, but that hasn't stopped Chinese horse aficionados such as wealthy businessman Ren Ningning from working to develop a thriving equestrian racing culture in the country.
A new Wall Street Journal video follows the “concrete and machinery magnate” as he pursues his passion for buying horses around the world that sell in the tens of thousands of dollars and entering them in China-based races. “My dream and my hope is that China’s own racing and jockeys will be seen in international racing,” he says. He joins a group of wealthy equine enthusiasts who hope that China’s racing industry can someday mirror those of the United States or the UK.
For now, Ren is entering his horses in mainland contests with no betting involved (or at least none that he can publicly admit). If gambling restrictions aren’t eased on the mainland in the future, however, he may soon be able to take his horses to Mongolia, which is considering legalizing betting on horse races in an attempt to attract Chinese gamblers.