Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian on the cross-country course at the Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational in Greenwich, England, on July 5. [Photo by Yui-tak Wan / For China Daily]

LONDON - "The Beijing Olympics was my home Olympics; it was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion," 21-year-old Chinese equestrian Alex Hua Tian said. "The London Olympics will be almost as exciting for me because it's the sport's home Olympics."

In his "Team China" polo shirt on a steaming hot July afternoon, Hua was about to hop on his horse for the London Prepares series ahead of the Olympics in 2012. The three-day competition involved all the equestrian events - dressage, cross-country and jumping; and was held on the hills of Greenwich Park, London, the equestrian site for the Games next year.

Equestrian is about precision, and the laser-sharp Hua has it all - and ambition. He was the youngest rider in the eventing competition at the Beijing Olympics, as well as the first to represent China in the event.

"I love what I do, I love my lifestyle, I love the horses, I'd never give it up," he said.

Horse riding might have modest popularity in China, but Hua is a celebrity whenever he is back in his home country. Aboard his horse Furst Love, is challenging for a high place in the world rankings and the chance for a medal at the Olympics next year.

In 2008, he was honored to be chosen as one of the six Chinese riders for the Beijing Games and had a fine start to the event, only to be disqualified after falling from his horse in the cross-country section.

"Obviously, the Beijing Olympics was amazing for me. My first Olympics," said Hua. But Britain is his birthplace and where he studies and practices his craft.

"Eventing is strongest here in Britain. All the best riders in the world are based here So for us we would have the best crowd, organization and, hopefully, the best time as well. I am really, really looking forward to it."

Hua's passion for horses runs deep. At four, he found joy in riding horses in a country club on the outskirts of Beijing.

When his parents moved to Hong Kong, a place known more for skyscrapers than horse riding, he received basic training on a pony.

At 15, Hua became serious about the sport. He later won the Queen's Plate at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and collected his prize from Queen Elizabeth II.

As a star student at Eton, he aced most of his subjects, but still managed to found time to ride.

"It's a very difficult relationship to explain - rider and horse - because they're like my friends, they're like my children, like my family, they are closer to me than most people are," says Hua. "They almost feel a part of you when you're riding them."

Getting the horses to perform and excel is another story. It is a multi-year commitment and millions of pounds can be spent in a process that begins with selecting which horses are to receive proper training.

"Obviously, I compete in a, on the face of it, glamor sport. We wear tails and top hats and the horses are obviously beautiful.

"But at the same time there is a lot of hard work at home, a lot of training, a lot of blood, sweat and tears go into the finished products that you see," he said.

For the London Olympics, Hua needs five outstanding qualifying scores by March next year to compete with the world's top riders. With numerous qualifying events being hosted all over the world this season, it means running a hectic schedule.

"No day is ever the same. We are always out competing, or out training, and there's home training as well," says Hua. "That's the great thing about the sport. It's so diverse. It has three different things to train for. It's difficult to explain, but always very interesting, very exciting, very different every day."

But that cannot be done without the support of his family, which is involved in all aspects of his chosen sport, from planning schedules to looking after the media. His mother, Sarah Noble, for example, works as Hua's PR manager.

"My family all has different roles. They're all important in what we called Team China."

"It's just like any family, 80 percent of the time we are all fighting and arguing, and then 20 percent of the time it is brilliant and we work beautifully together," he says.

China Daily