For nearly three decades, Wang Jiyu has been looking after more than 100 horses in Beijing, but one horse in particular stands out as his favorite. That horse, an Akhal-Teke, was called "Duti" (special hoofs).

"I had two Akhal-Tekes in 1985, when I opened one of China's first riding clubs and stud farms in Beijing, and one of them was Duti. Its endurance and stamina were phenomenal," said Wang, a member of the China Horse Industry Association, as well as a renowned horse riding expert.

Wang said 90 kilometers would be the distance limit for most horses. But his Akhal-Teke horses, especially Duti, were able to cover nearly 90 km with ease.