Olympic riders helping to open the stable door

China's first foray into Olympic equestrian events came at the 2008 Beijing Games, when the host country was automatically allocated six berths: One each in eventing and dressage and four in show jumping.

Liu Lina, a 33-year-old dressage rider from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, performed well at an Olympic qualifier in Spain, and became the first Chinese equestrian to qualify for the Olympics.

Born into an ethnic Russian family in Urumqi, Liu has been riding since she was 14, after joining the regional equestrian team. She spent several years training in Denmark and Germany, two of the world's leading equestrian nations, and was placed 40th in the 2008 Olympic Games.