Riding the Lucky Horse City (LHC) straightaway in Wuhan at 60 km/hr, horse racing junior Qin Yong was the first of his class this semester to experience the thrill of his major.

"I had been waiting for that moment a long time, but when I actually got on the horse, I told myself to calm down and take advantage of every second to practice," said Qin

Qin is one of 22 student-jockeys learning to gallop at Wuhan Commercial Services College (WCSC). Beginning in 2008 with three focus majors (stable management, competition management and jockey training), the program, run in cooperation with LHC owners Orient Lucky Horse Group, is the first in China offering a horse racing degree.

China derby

"We considered that horse racing is now an industry of rapid development and there is a growing job market," said Li Yaonan, a teacher in sports department of WCSC, adding that the average yearly salary for a jockey is 150,000 yuan ($21,970).

New horse tracks have popped up throughout China over the last decade in part due to an official push by the government to develop the sport. Although there were reports of China loosening gambling laws as licenses were being granted, gambling still remains illegal.

Domestic horse racing profits mostly through ticket sales, recreational riders and tourist groups, says an Orient Lucky Horse spokesman, one of the first companies licensed to develop horse racing in China.

Trotting to class

Of the 1,000 applicants to the three-year program's first class, only 98 were admitted as horse racing industry majors.

According to Li, besides taking the national college entrance exam, students also must meet height and weight requirements, as well as pass provincial athletic exams, testing long-distance running, high and long jumps. Their scores are then combined with that of the college entrance exam.

Class for second-year horse racers takes place at the Lucky Horse City Racecourse in Wuhan, one of the largest comprehensive horse racing centers in China, where students spend the next two years learning how to ride.

Stable blues

Dong Min, one of only five girls of her class, recalled her first days at the field.

"We didn't even ride for the first month, but were each assigned four to five horses to look after," Dong said.

Everyday, Dong works with her classmates in the stables to feed the horses, shovel manure, wash and walk the horses in the field, as well as learn the basics of setting a saddle.

"Horses are our future partners. Only by knowing their personalities and habits can we cooperate well with each other when racing," Dong said.

However, it is not always easy to cooperate with a 500 kg thoroughbred racehorse.

"A horse is never completely tame," Dong explains. "They bite sometimes when we feed them and when we walk the horses or prepare to set their saddles, they break free and we have to go chase them down."

"This happens more with the girls since we're not as strong. And even if the horse is in a good mood, it might step on your feet," she added.

Regardless, being together everyday has made students very attached to their trusty steeds.

"Our horses are our babies. One of mine is especially cute and unique because the moment she wakes up, she shakes her head," Dong said.