Horse riding in Phnom Penh: Genius Resort takes the reins

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In Sen Sok, north of the capital, an equestrian centre has picked up where the Country Club left off. More than fifty horses and ponies, a covered arena, an international-standard outdoor ring and a certificate recognised in France. Children start riding at three.

un palefrenier du centre guide deux cavalières — *a groom leads two riders*

Born from another club’s closure

The story begins with an ending. For a few years, the riding school at the Phnom Penh Country Club gave families in the capital a taste for horses. Then the club closed it down. Genius Resort bought the horses and the equipment.

The centre opened on 16 February 2024, opposite Northbridge International School in Sen Sok district. The owner, Vang Panha Tevy, has a personal stake in the sport. Her son, eight years old at the opening, was already on the Cambodian national equestrian team. At the launch, she told the Phnom Penh Post she wanted to give horse lovers a place to pursue their passion.

She also stressed the educational side. Children learn to ride, but also to groom and care for the animals. Horses, she said, help build focus, empathy and a sense of responsibility.

From forty horses to more than fifty

When it opened, the stable had around forty horses and ponies, some local, some imported. Today it has more than fifty. Some were born on site.

The instructors come from several countries and claim twenty to thirty years of experience. They work alongside a team of Cambodian grooms. Lessons are taught in Khmer, English and French.

Riders who know their way around a yard notice it quickly: clean stables, horses in good condition, well-kept facilities. The centre is also a partner of the Cambodian Pony Welfare Organization.

*Two riders in club colours on the centre's shaded lawn*

From first pony to show jumping

The youngest start at three, on ponies, to get used to the animals. Proper lessons begin at five. The centre provides helmets, body protectors and boots. Riders just need long trousers and closed shoes.

Lessons run at three levels, beginner, intermediate and advanced, in groups or one to one. The programme combines theory, horse knowledge and time in the saddle, with exams to confirm each level. Riders who complete the course receive a certificate from the French Equestrian Federation, to which the Cambodian Equestrian Federation is affiliated. That matters for French families living in Phnom Penh, or heading back to France.

Advanced riders move on to show jumping, dressage and cross-country. They can also ride the centre's premium horses.

A home ground for the national team

Equestrian sport reached Cambodia in the late 1950s. For decades, the country's riders had nowhere suitable to train or compete.

Genius Resort has changed that. The site has a 2,100 square metre covered and ventilated arena, usable all year round despite the rainy season, and a 4,000 square metre outdoor ring built to international standards. It hosts show jumping competitions and serves as the training base for Cambodia's national team. It works in partnership with the Cambodian Equestrian Federation.

Une jeune cavalière franchit un obstacle lors d'un concours de saut — *A young rider clears a fence during a show jumping competition*

Owners can also keep their own horses at the centre on livery. More sports facilities are planned.

The clubhouse, for parents

You don't have to ride to visit. The clubhouse, decorated with equestrian objects and original paintings, looks out over the arena through large windows. There is a bar and a restaurant, and parents can follow their children's lessons from above, drink in hand.

The centre also runs holiday camps, including over Khmer New Year, and charity events. For Children's Day, it supported a school in Battambang province.

What it costs

Annual membership costs 190 dollars for adults and 120 dollars for children and students. It brings lesson prices down considerably: a package of eight lessons costs members 220 dollars, against 360 dollars for non-members.

Single lessons: a one-hour group class on a pony costs 30 dollars for members and 42 dollars for non-members. Private lessons are 50 and 62 dollars. Riding a horse rather than a pony adds 12 dollars.

To try it without committing, the centre offers a thirty-minute guided walk on horseback: 22 dollars on a pony, 33 dollars on a horse. It can be booked online.