The cover shows China's Olympic Eventing star, Alex Hua Tian, at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in September 2009. Blenheim is one of the world’s premier three star three-day events and is a firm favourite of the world’s best event riders. Situated in the grounds of world heritage site - Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, it is the third largest three day event in the UK and this year attracted over 65,000 visitors.

Alex's performance at his first ever Blenheim created huge excitement in China as the sport’s fan base is growing as a result of Alex’s rise to fame. The Chinese Ambassador recently visited Blenheim Palace to plant a “Chinese friendship tree” and this site is one of the favoured locations for Chinese travellers to visit in the UK. Riding his second and third horses, Alex was placed 7th and 12th at the 2009 Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials and won the ‘Best U21’ prize, courtesy of the Horse Trials Support Group. With this result Alex obtained his qualification for the World Equestrian Games 2010, making him the first Chinese rider ever to qualify for the World Equestrian Games.

"The publication of the Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship is a first in Chinese equestrian sport", said Sarah Noble, advisor to the Chinese Equestrian Association for the past 10 years. "This is the first equestrian foreign comprehensive manual published in China. There is a huge thirst for information among riders. Although many of the top instructors in China have trained abroad, there has never been enough suitable teaching materials available in Chinese."

 "I was thrilled to be invited to appear on the cover" said Alex Hua Tian. "The Manual of Horsemanship really is the bible of horsemanship. My mother still has hers which was published in the 1960s!"