Christian Ahlmann wins the Longines Masters of Hong Kong!

Press Release Longines Masters Hong Kong – The world’s most glamorous showjumping event came to a thrilling climax in Hong Kong today, after a spectacular winning round in the Longines Grand Prix crowning German rider, Christian Ahlmann as the champion.

Christian Ahlmann on his horse ‘Caribis Z’ took top honours in a tightly-contested event ahead of 2nd placed, fellow German rider, Ludger Beerbaum on ‘Casello’ and 3rd placed Austrian rider, Max Kühner on ‘Cornet Kalua’.

Victorious Christian Ahlmann said: “What happened today was unexpected, Caribis is a great horse but he hasn’t jumped that many rounds at this level. It was a tough course today and he did an amazing job in the first round. I saw my colleagues ride the second and it was clear we just had to go for it. I thought I’d try and see how far we could get and in the end, we won, I’m surprised and totally happy.”

After winning this evening’s Longines Grand Prix, Christian Ahlmann is in the running for the Grand Slam bonus of 1 million Euros for consecutive wins if he triumphs in the Longines Grand Prix in Los Angeles and in Paris in December this year, in the third season of the Longines Masters.

Earlier in the day, the Hong Kong Tatler Trophy, served as a warm-up round for the Longines Grand Prix and was headlined by two of the most iconic names in international showjumping, Philippaerts and Whitaker. Riding second in the class, Olivier Philippaerts and H&M Challenge vd Begijnakker Z set the pace and established a reference time of 54.37 seconds, setting a high bar for the other riders to beat.

The time proved impossible to catch and the Belgian rider signed his first victory in the Longines Masters series here in Hong Kong. An even more enjoyable victory, as he shared it with his twin brother Nicola, who came in second with a difference of just 2.86 seconds. The class was very much a family affair with William Whitaker coming in at third place, just ahead of his uncle, legendary British rider, John Whitaker.

In the second competition of the final day, Hong Kong’s own Hang Yuk Sham and Bailey’s de Lauzelle won the HKJC Junior Trophy, which gave local fans a chance to see just how far Hong Kong’s aspiring future champions have come, tested under the bright lights across a specially designed course in a Grand Prix format across two rounds. Both rides counted, and the winner collected the fewest penalties across both first and second rounds – and the best time in the second round. It was a particularly impressive win, as the young riders had just three days to practice with the horses loaned to them by les Ecuries d’Ecaussinnes stables and equipment provided by CWD.

The star-studded red carpet had crowds rushing to greet their favourite star, Aaron Kwok, Longines Ambassador of Elegance. Aaron is a great fan of equestrian sports and was attending for the fifth year in Hong Kong, and is a wonderful advocate of this show jumping competition. The famous Hong Kong actor presented an elegant Longines watch to the winner of the Longines Grand Prix, Christian Ahlmann.

Over 5,000 socialites and VIPs made an appearance at the Longines Masters Club over the weekend including Jackson Lai, Mr. Hong Kong 2016, Freeyon Chung, Mr. Hong Kong 2016 second runner up and Tiffany Lau, Miss Hong Kong first runner up.

Meanwhile, another full-house of equestrian sports fans, celebrities and Hong Kong high-society packed the arena for the final day of the prestigious 3-day showcase which has become Asia’s equestrian social event of the year. In all, over 25,000 people attended this world-class event which twins some of the world’s top showjumping with stylish lifestyle and entertainment for all ages.

Legendary “horse whisperer” Santi Serra and his team of performing horses mesmerized audiences throughout the event, with his daily “natural dressage” show, presented by Shanghai Tang. Choreographed especially for Hong Kong, the unique performance highlights the historical links between Chinese culture and horses, combining classic Chinese music with stunning costumes.

“The 6-star series continues to grow from strength to strength with record-breaking attendances and the final leg in Hong Kong is now firmly established as a major „must-go“ sporting and social event in Asia,” said Christophe Ameeuw, Founder and CEO of EEM. ‘I can safely say that this has been our best edition yet, capacity crowds have turned out to marvel at the skills of the world’s greatest show jumpers as well as to cheer on their own local, up-and- coming equestrian stars, also to enjoy the whole lifestyle elements of the event. Thanks to the support of our Title Partner Longines, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Founding Partner and indeed all our partners, it’s been an incredible three days and we look forward to returning to Hong Kong again in 2018 with an even more spectacular show.”

After an amazing second season for the Grand Slam Indoor of Show Jumping, in Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, EEM is already preparing for the Longines Masters’ third season and looks forward to seeing everyone there!

Save the date for the third season:
Longines Masters of Los Angeles from 31 August to 3 September 2017
Longines Masters of Paris from 30 November to 3 December 2017
Longines Masters of Hong Kong from 9 to 11 February 2018

Source: Press Release Longines Masters Hong Kong