A weekend with top athletes and a top programme
On Friday, the time has finally come: The fifth edition of the Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters begins and once again the best Chinese riders will be competing against the top stars of the international show-jumping sport. “There is a first-class line-up of riders, the programme is very diversified. We are going to experience fantastic equestrian sport in China’s capital city at the weekend,” Michael Mronz, general manager of the Aachener Reitturnier GmbH which jointly organises the show with the Chinese Equestrian Association, Dashing Equestrian and Ludger Beerbaum, is convinced.
The competitions are just as extraordinary as the setting in Beijing’s Olympic Stadium, the “Bird’s Nest”: “This year we have come up with a new challenge for the riders. A spectacular team jumping competition is awaiting them before the big Final, the Longines Grand Prix on Sunday,” said an enthusiastic Jing Li, President of Dashing Equestrian. “Each team, comprising of one international rider and two Chinese riders, will be battling for victory on Saturday evening in the floodlit jumping class,” she said, explaining the concept of the team competition.
The draw that determines which Chinese riders will be pairing up with which of the twelve top athletes, who include among others Ludger Beerbaum, the double World and European Champion Jeroen Dubbeldam, France’s top female rider Penelope Leprevost and the number one in the world rankings Scott Brash, will take place on Friday evening. However, prior to that there is another important item on the agenda for the international riders: the allocation of the borrowed horses. Because due to the Chinese quarantine regulations, they won’t be bringing their own horses with them to the show, but will be riding Chinese horses instead – this is guaranteed to increase the excitement of the competitions: Which riders will be able to get in tune with the foreign horses the fastest? Which pairs will harmonise the best? Who will ride to victory in the Longines Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon?
All of the participants as well as the schedule of the Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters can be found at www.beijingmasters.com.
www.beijingmasters.com
www.facebook.com/LonginesBeijingEquestrianMasters
Source: Press release
