Rural horse racing events in Guizhou are proving to be a powerful engine for wealth creation. A recent People's Daily report highlighted how the Agricultural Bank of China's Guizhou branch is supporting the development of this unique industry to boost local incomes. Guizhou's rural horse racing invitationals, which blend traditional customs with modern artistic flair, have accelerated the growth of local agriculture, culture, and tourism sectors.

At a horse farm in Zhonghe Town, Sandu County, more than ten racehorses were munching on fodder while jockey Shi Shaozhang tended to them nearby. "Ever since rural horse racing took off, I've been earning over 100,000 yuan a year from breeding, racing, and selling horses," Shi said.

As the only autonomous county for the Shui ethnic group in China, Sandu County leverages its distinctive folk, festival, horse racing, and embroidery cultures to cultivate the "Guizhou Rural Horse Racing" brand. The county has established a three-tier competition system that includes regular village races, Duan Festival leagues, and national invitationals. "Rural horse racing spans multiple sectors. Upstream, horse breeding follows a model of policy subsidies, cooperative joint breeding, and large-scale farmer leadership. Midstream, event operations open up income channels for village collectives through support services, local employment, and local jockey participation. Downstream, cultural tourism consumption creates new revenue streams from spectating, shopping, and experiences," explained Yang Kai, the county magistrate of Sandu. With financial and resource support from partners like the Agricultural Bank of China's Guizhou branch, the county is working to retain the added value of rural horse racing within rural communities, effectively helping over 30,000 residents achieve steady income growth.

Wei Jinjin, a farmer from Yaolu Village in Dahe Town, is one of the beneficiaries. He has long been involved in horse trading and breeding. "Quality horses are the foundation of rural racing, but breeding requires substantial upfront investment with long return cycles, often creating cash flow pressure during peak seasons," he said. At a critical moment, the Agricultural Bank of China's Sandu County branch provided him with 300,000 yuan in credit through its "Huinong e-Dai" product, filling the funding gap and enabling his horse business to thrive.

As the popularity of rural horse racing surges, so does the demand for local tourism, yet the county's infrastructure and supporting services needed improvement. Pan Jiabo, manager of the Sandu Fengqi Hotel, noted, "Since 2024, the events have driven a surge in hotel demand, but our original facilities weren't enough to enhance the guest experience. We wanted to upgrade, but we lacked the funds." To help Pan capitalize on the tourism boom, the Agricultural Bank of China's Sandu branch quickly provided financial support, facilitating the hotel's renovation. Today, the average daily occupancy rate at Sandu Fengqi Hotel's 50 rooms exceeds 95%, and the refreshed environment has earned high praise from guests.

Additionally, the Agricultural Bank of China's Sandu branch has developed an integrated financing and settlement service system, extending smart payment and online payment solutions across the board to scenic shops and cultural tourism projects. This has removed payment bottlenecks and connected the consumer chain of watching races, tasting food, appreciating heritage, and buying cultural products, effectively converting event traffic into industrial growth. Gong Xing, head of the branch, said the bank focuses on county-level distinctive industries, building a full-chain financial service system that covers upstream horse breeding, midstream event organization, and downstream consumption. By providing customized products, precise services, and comprehensive support, the bank is driving the rural horse racing economy toward becoming a county-wide wealth-generating industry. To date, the branch has issued a total of 55 million yuan in loans to businesses across the rural horse racing industry chain, supporting 67 rural tourism operators and injecting strong financial momentum into local income growth and comprehensive rural revitalization.