Xia said his university plans to invest almost 110 million yuan ($16.5 million) to build facilities that will cover about 14 hectares on the campus. The facilities, including three training grounds and an 800-meter horse racing track, will be used to host the Military World Games in Wuhan in 2019.

The university is also going to build a China-French equestrian school that will cover about 67 hectares outside the current campus, hoping to tap into French experience in cultivating horse-related talent.

In February, the university signed an agreement in Beijing with the Wuhan Equestrian Association and the French Equestrian Federation to jointly build the school.

Xia said the equine industry has huge potential with the development of China's sports industry.

It is expected that by 2020, the value of the sports industry will be more than 3 trillion yuan and the proportion of its added value to GDP will rise from 0.63 percent in 2013 to 1 percent.

Hu Jun, executive general manager of the Wuhan Jockey Club, echoed Xia's sentiments that there are too few talented people to support the growing equine industry.

The previous education system failed to equip graduates with the specific expertise the industry needs, he said.

"It will be much better if education can be combined with experience in clubs, and it's important for universities to enroll those eligible for horse riding-related majors," he said.

The most qualified individuals for horse racing, for example, are less than 170 centimeters tall and weigh about 55 kilograms, he said.

There is no industry specific qualification evaluation system in China. The lack of a transfer system also results in a high turnover of personnel, he said.

He also said that the industry lacks appropriate pay scales. Jockeys still depend on salaries from their bosses to make a living instead of prizes, as in Western countries.

Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn