The Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of the oldest institutions in the country; it was founded in the year 1884 to promote the sport of horse racing. It catered largely to the colonial British administrators during its period of inception. Today it is a non-profit organization that provides horse racing, sporting and betting entertainment to the people of Hong Kong. It has been the largest tax payer as well as the largest charity contributor in Hong Kong of recent times, as well as proving recreational and socializing events to its 20,000 odd members.
At the beginning the Hong Kong Jockey Club was composed largely of upper class British expatriates and only a handful of Chinese members. The club changed its status from amateur to professional in 1971 and is involved organizing annual horse races during the Chinese New Year. Following Queen Elizabeth's royal patronage in 1959 the club changed its name to the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club conducts over 700 horse races annually at its two tracks at Happy Valley and Sha Tin. Following the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China the volume of bets and the number of horse races declined marginally. But many believe that equestrian events are enjoying a renaissance in Hong Kong with records crowd since 2007.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club was also instrumental in organizing the equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The world class racing track of the club at Sha Tin was utilized for the purpose and also hosted the events for the Paralympic Games. Located close to the Hong Kong Jockey Club is a hotel in Hong Kong known as the Cosmo Hotel. This is an excellent choice for racing enthusiasts as it provides excellent transportation links to the country's race courses as well.