On a farm on the outskirts of Beijing, Portuguese João Ruas trains six horses daily in dressage, an Olympic equestrian discipline that seeks to showcase the animal's maximum athletic abilities. His goal is to prepare the animals from the age of three for competitions that usually begin at four.

According to him, there is growing interest in Beijing, but there is still a long way to go. With the arrival of another horse soon and the prospect of continuing his work in China, João Ruas says he feels fulfilled. “I see myself here for many more years. The only thing that's hard is the distance. But with today's technology, we can shorten it,” he said.

With no previous experience in the country, the Portuguese was surprised by the friendliness of the Chinese and the welcome he received from the local community. “I'm the only foreigner here. I communicate with gestures, I'm still learning Chinese, but I've always been treated very well. The neighbors help with everything,” he said.

(Source: Notícias ao Minuto, on August 17)