Proposal to Establish the Vietnam Federation of Equestrian Performance, Polo and Horse Racing: From Practical Demand to Regional and Global Integration
Amid efforts to further socialize sports development and enhance international integration, the establishment of the Vietnam Federation of Equestrian Performance, Polo and Horse Racing—an official representative body for equestrian sports—has become an urgent requirement driven by practical needs on the ground.
At a meeting with domestic equestrian clubs held on January 16 at the Thien Ma Madagui Horse and Greyhound Racing Complex in Da Huoai Commune, Lam Dong Province, participating clubs reached a consensus to designate Thien Ma Madagui Horse Racing Joint Stock Company as the focal entity to apply to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the establishment of the federation.
Speaking at the event, Mr Nguyen Ngoc My, Director of Thien Ma Madagui Horse Racing Joint Stock Company, stressed: “The establishment of a federation is not the aspiration of a single enterprise or a handful of clubs. It reflects the real demand of the entire equestrian sports movement in Vietnam. This is a prerequisite for structured, internationally standardized development, in line with the Party and State’s policy on sports socialization.”
According to Mr Nguyen Ngoc My, equestrian sports remain relatively new to the majority of Vietnamese people. Globally, however, equestrian disciplines boast a long history, well-established organizational and competition systems, and are included in the Olympic Games, ASIAD and SEA Games.
In Southeast Asia, nine out of eleven countries currently participate in equestrian competitions. Vietnam, however, has been absent from several consecutive SEA Games, most recently SEA Games 33 held in Thailand in late 2025. “This is a significant disadvantage for Vietnamese sports—not only in terms of results, but also in lost opportunities for exposure, learning and asserting the country’s position on the regional stage,” Mr My noted
Representatives from 14 equestrian clubs across the country attending the meeting all expressed a strong desire for an official federation to serve as a national focal point, connecting Vietnam’s equestrian movement with international organizations and competitions.
Without a federation, club representatives said, current activities related to training, competition and exchange remain largely spontaneous and fragmented, making it difficult to build a sustainable ecosystem for equestrian sports development.
Mr Nguyen Ngoc My emphasized that a federation would enable clubs to officially access international competition rules and technical standards, while expanding cooperation and exchanges in athlete training and event organization with countries in the region and worldwide. “Only with a federation can Vietnam establish the legal and professional foundation needed to organize domestic competitions and send athletes to SEA Games, ASIAD and, eventually, international tournaments,” he said.
A key advantage highlighted at the meeting is the infrastructure and strategic location of the Thien Ma Madagui Horse and Greyhound Racing Complex. The project has been approved by the Prime Minister under regional planning and features technical infrastructure that meets international training and competition standards.
Notably, Madagui is one of the few locations in Vietnam capable of serving as a horse quarantine facility—a mandatory requirement under international competition regulations to ensure disease control before and after events.
Referring to the recent groundbreaking of the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr Nguyen Ngoc My noted that although equestrian sports are not included in its detailed 1/500 master plan, Rach Chiec, as a future national sports hub, could be linked with satellite venues.
Located at the gateway connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai province and Lam Dong province, and supported by an increasingly complete transport network, the Thien Ma Madagui Racecourse has all the conditions to serve as a satellite venue for equestrian events when Vietnam hosts SEA Games or other regional competitions.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc My, Director of Thien Ma Madagui Horse Racing Joint Stock Company
The representative of Thien Ma Madagui Horse Racing Joint Stock Company also reaffirmed the company’s strong commitment to sports socialization. The company plans to allocate land in Madagui for future federation operations, invest in facilities for domestic and international training and competitions, and ensure logistics, medical and customs services in line with international standards.
Beyond sports, Mr Nguyen Ngoc My said the development of the equestrian sector also opens up new economic opportunities for the local area. A model of raising horses under durian tree canopies in Madagui is currently under study, with expectations of creating jobs and increasing incomes for local residents, particularly ethnic minority communities, thereby contributing to diversified livelihoods and sustainable rural development.
The proposal to establish the Vietnam Federation of Equestrian Performance, Polo and Horse Racing therefore reflects not only the internal needs of the movement, but also the ambition to usher in a new chapter for this young yet promising sport on Vietnam’s national and international sports map.