Dressage rider Liu Lina is the first Chinese rider to have qualified for an equestrian event at the Games.

"We got the letter from the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) this week saying Liu's result (in March) has been confirmed and she is the first Chinese rider to qualify for the Olympics," the country's equestrian chief Cheng Qing said.

Liu's qualification has made the host's dream of providing an athlete for every sport at the Games come true.

As the host country of the Olympics, China was allotted six equestrian berths - four in jumping and one in both dressage and eventing. Riders only needed to meet the minimum qualification standards to participate in the Games.

The 29-year-old rider from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is indisputably the best dressage rider in the country, having won several national titles.

Supported by the local sports bureau, since 2006 she has been training in Germany, one of the sport's powerhouses.

"She has made great progress there thanks to world-class training facilities and training methods," Cheng said. "Her results were much better than the Olympic qualification standards."

Liu will continue her preparations in Germany before the Games to further enhance her skills.

Five Chinese riders and their horses have been registered with FEI, the sport's governing body, in order to make their way to Hong Kong, where the equestrian events are to be held.

Besides Liu, 18-year-old eventer Alex Hua Tian, show jumpers Zhang Bin, Huang Zuping and Li Zhenqiang -- who are all based in Europe -- have been trying to qualify for the Games. Riders are required to qualify by June 30.

The mission to participate in the Olympics seemed almost impossible at first due to China's few equestrian athletes and its lack of sponsorship.

Unlike other sports in China, the government is unwilling to invest in expensive horses and training programs. It's estimated a rider needs to spend around $2.5 million to compete in the Olympics.

Alex Hua Tian has received a sponsorship deal, of 30 million yuan ($4 million), from Jiang Fengcan, a businessman in South China's Guangdong province.

But the equestrian chief is expecting that more sponsorship deals will be signed once these riders book their tickets to the Games.

"Many potential sponsors are still watching the performances of the Chinese riders. Once they book their berths in the Olympics, sponsorship will come."