Anna and Alice Campanella Find New Future in China, Consulting for International Equestrian Club “The Rider”

Training and Sales

The Polish-Italian mother-daughter duo Anna and Alice Campanella have found a new future in Shangai, China, where they have been hired as principle consultants at Alvin Tan's International Equestrian Club “The Rider”.

Located on the outskirts of the buzzing Chinese metropole, International Equestrian Club “The Rider” is an all-encompassing equestrian center for dressage and show jumping, aspiring to be a training, sales and competition hub in China and for South East Asia.

Campanella Duo

The 50-year old Anna Paprocka Campanella made her career aboard the Hanoverian gelding Andretti H (by Aarking xx x Cavalier) who took her to the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachyen, landed her 14th place in the Kur finals at the 2007 European Championships and unlocedk an individual Olympic slot for Italy for the 2008 Olympics but sold her horse to the U.K. instead. In 2009 the KWPN bred Prego (by Zazou x Ulft) took her to the 2009 European Championships in Windsor. Fifteen years later, Anna switched her nationality back to Poland in an attempt to qualify on the 2024 Polish Olympic team. Her last CDI was in March 2024.

The 24-year old Alice Campanella is a nine-time Italian team member at European Youth Championships from pony level to Under 25 Grand Prix. She recorded 19 international victories in this time frame, last competing internationally in the U25 in Le Mans in October 2021. Sine then she switched her career to show jumping.

The duo has a private stable "AC Horses" in Erp, The Netherlands.

A New Life in China

In the autumn of 2024 Anna Campanella moved to China after she received a job offer she couldn't refuse.

"I got the opportunity to take up the position of head trainer and help Mr. Tan with the menagment of the Club," Anna Campanella explained. "I am supervising the training of the dressage and jumping riders and horses and I am also a head rider."

Anna will keep strong ties with The Netherlands, where her daughter Alice continues her sport career.

"As we want to develop a strong partnership between Europe and China, we decided to have a base for AC Horses in China as well as for the Chinese Club in The Netherlands at our Dutch stable," Anne continued. "From this year Alice will join our team as a rider and trainer both for dressage and jumping. She will represent the club in Europe and in China. Mr Tan's stable is the only one in China at the moment who has a rider competing regularly in Europe and in China. We believe he will have the first Chinese stable with two Grand Prix riders at its disposal on the fixed basis. Alice will fly in every three weeks and stay for two."

The European Experience

The Campanellas will assist Tan in raising the level of riding in China, organize competitions and select horses suitable for import to China.

"We want to provide the Chinese riders a high standard and consistency in the training, up to the highest FEI standards and principles of the horse welfare," said Anna. "China has a great potential, constantly growing and developing in equestrian sport. However to support this, needs better horses and more accurate training, taught to the Chinese trainers. We also want to give our Chinese students the opportunity to travel for some time to the Netherlands and to compete on our horses in the most competitive, international environment."

China has a export prohibition of horses out of China, so Chinese riders need European based horses to learn on and compete in Europe.

"That is why it is important for our stable in China to have an exclusive cooperation with the stable in Europe, where the Chinese riders can train," said Anna. "AC Horses is based in a perfect location, between Peelbergen, Green Valley, Asten, closed to Sentower Park and 50 km from the German border, which offers easy access to many competitions."

Raising the Bar in China

"The goal for 2025 is to make our riders in China successful, trained up to the best European standards with suitable, quality horses," Campanella explained. "We will also invite some international judges to help bring more knowledge about dressage to China."

The long term objectives are the China Games, the 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Olympic participation, but it all starts at building a foundation at regional and national level.

"However we are also very focused on the national success of our students in China, especially in Shangai," said anna. "We already imported some excellent, talented horses, suitable for the Chinese students and they can compete them in Europe before they travel to Shangai."

Club owner Alvin Tan is happy with his new set-up at The Rider.

The full team at the Intenational Equestrian Club The Rider

"Through this deep cooperative relationship will will promote the popularization of the FEI standards and system in China. We need to learn and introduce good European horses training and good horses. At the same time we will bring the good Chinese students and riders to Europe where they learn and compete. We want to promote this equestrian exchange between Chine and Europe."

Student Chang Yanning