Olympic FDC from Hongkong

FDC Name:Beijing 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events.

Issue date: 9th AUG'2008

Details:To celebrate the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games being held in August 2008 & Hong Kong's very special honor of Co-hosting the equestrian events,a set of commemorative stamps is issued by Hongkong Post to mark the glorious milestone in the sports achievements.

Developed over a long history, Equestrian is an elegant yet competitive sport that emphasises unique understanding and perfect partnership between the rider and the horse. It was officially included in the Olympic Games in 1900. Equestrian is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms in the same event. Three equestrian disciplines, namely Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, in addition to a victory scene are displayed on this set of stamps.

The details of set of stamps are as follows

• $1.40-Jumping:Soaring Leaps-Jumping requires the horse to jump and clear a series of obstacles, aiming for minimum penalties incurred and completion within a set time. To enable optimal balance and minimum resistance at take-off, the rider often adopts a forward posture parallel to the back of the horse, resulting in a confident jump over the fence.
• $2.40-Dressage:Graceful Steps-Often described as horses performing ballet, Dressage requires the horse to execute both set movements and freestyle to music in perfect harmony with its rider. Marks are awarded by a panel of judges based on the precision and elegance of the movements.
• $3.00-Eventing:Ultimate Challenge-Eventing integrates Jumping, Dressage and Cross-Country into one competition, with the winners decided on minimum total penalties. The cross-country phase requires the horse to complete a set course within a set time, clearing a series of obstacles on the way.
• $5.00-Victory:Heartfelt Cheers-Victory in the Olympics is always a moment worthy of a shower of colourful streamers and a wave of warm applause as it is the result of dedicated effort, tireless training and excellent performance in the competition.

Remark:Excellent attractive stamps & FDC posted by my friend from Hongkong by registered post.The first Day special cancellation is not allowed for the registered post in the issue date.