Patrick Lam is known as one of Hong Kong’s best riders. He is a true horseman who works hard to understand his horses and to form a strong partnership to bring out the best in each one. The partnership between horse and rider is one of the main aspects that attracted Patrick to the sport. “I love animals and it’s the only sport which competes with an animal as a partner, so it was a good combination for me,” he says. His road to the top was largely unexpected. He never intended to become a professional rider. In fact, he was at University studying Law when the opportunity to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics arose. Patrick achieved a clear round in the first round of the show jumping event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with his Bay Belgian Stallion, Urban. He was the only rider from Hong Kong to ride a double clear and make it through to the third round. It was a particularly good moment for Patrick, as many had doubted Urban’s ability to perform at elite levels of the sport. “The Olympics was a special moment in my life that changed a lot,” says Patrick. “The horse that I rode there was not considered good enough for the top sport, but at that moment, on that day, he gave his heart to me. Even now when I talk about it, I get goose bumps.”

Building rapport with his mounts is a key aspect of Patrick’s approach to training, especially when training horses that others may deem to have a difficult personality. He has a different perspective; he says that some horses just need more time than others to develop, especially the ones that have good potential but their minds aren’t in the right place. Gaining a horse’s trust is key in these situations. He says, “I don’t like to put too much pressure on horses. Of course, this way takes a little bit more time, but I think that’s the only way to get the trust of a horse, and it will make them a better animal. When they trust you and they fight for you then I think that’s the most important thing with a horse.”

He’s had several challenging horses in the past that have become top mounts and he says that being able to take his time with his horses and the support structure of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Performance Plan has made all the difference. “In the end, that’s what made them really good horses,” he says.

Patrick is a rider who enjoys the success of the competition, but also has a strong appreciation for the everyday moments in training. He describes his happiest moments in training as seeing horses develop, feeling the difference and experiencing the progress. At his home base in south Austria, he has plenty of young horses with promising talent. “Every horse is a new challenge and you never get bored. Of course, it can get frustrating from time to time because horses don’t always do what you want, but there’s a kind of compromise. It’s always exciting and never boring.”

At the top level of the sport, there’s incredible pressure on both horse and rider to perform well. Riders deal with the strains of the sport differently and Patrick takes a pragmatic attitude. He says, “I think as long as you try your best and try to fight with and for your horses in the end success will come anyway. It’s all about experience and I’ve learned from every mistake. Pressure is just something that you have to learn to deal with as a rider because it’s there every day, at every show.” 

He’s had plenty of success as a rider. He won individual gold and team bronze at the China National Games in 2009, team bronze at the Asian Games in 2010, and was the 2016 FEI World Cup China League Champion. He credits these wins to the training that he’s received as a result of the Club’s sponsorship. “Thanks to The Hong Kong Jockey Club, I’ve been to some nice shows and trained with some really good trainers,” he says. “I watch many different riders at shows and videos to try to understand what they’re doing to achieve success. I’m always trying to learn and get better.”

Being the first gold medalist for the Hong Kong Equestrian Team at the National Games 2009, Patrick  challenged himself and his horse - Jockey Club Dyk 5 and Cassini’s Angel – both provided by the Jockey Club, to be the first rider to represent Hong Kong in both eventing and show jumping, at the 2017 National Games. In 2018, he again achieved his goal by riding Jockey Club Weronique and Quintino 9 in the eventing and show jumping competitions, respectively.