The Asian leg of the Longines Masters series Paris – Hong Kong – New York program and new features unveiled

The Asian leg of the Longines Masters series Paris – Hong Kong – New York program and new features unveiled
After Paris and before New York, it’s the turn of Hong Kong from February 9 to 11 to host the second leg of season 3 of Longines Masters at the Asia World- Expo. The sixth edition of Longines Masters of Hong Kong, which was recently awarded the prize for Best Live Experience for a Professional Sporting Event by the Sports Industry Awards & Conference in Asia (SPIA), promises to retain its status as an outstanding sporting event, an unmissable fixture on Asian social and cultural calendar, and now also, with the launch of the Asia Horse Week, an important commercial event.

Today, during the pre-event rendezvous organized in Hong Kong’s city center, at Macey & Son, the partner art gallery of the Longines Masters, Christophe Ameeuw, CEO and Founder of the series, presented the program and new features of the Longines Masters of Hong Kong, alongside its partners: Longines, the Title Partner of the series on the three continents, represented by Mrs. Karen Au Yeung, Vice-President of Longines Hong Kong; Mr. Sebastian Paredes, CEO of DBS Hong Kong and Mr. Amaury La Fonta, Managing Director of Maserati South East Asia Pacific.

Introducing the program of the 2018 Longines Masters of Hong Kong at today’s event, Mr. Christophe Ameeuw, CEO of EEM, Founder of the Longines Masters Series, commented, “This year, we are proud to present three days of competition, events and emotion, where the best of lifestyle will rub shoulders with the top in sports. We are particularly thrilled to welcome in our new Official Partners DBS and Maserati. We hope our collaboration will further benefit the development of equestrian sports in Hong Kong.”

Discover the Longines Masters of Hong Kong’s sports program here.

Very high-level sport will once again be in the spotlight at this sixth edition of the Longines Masters of Hong Kong and all the classes will be broadcast live and free of charge on EEM.tv. Winner of the Longines Grand Prix of Paris, Daniel Deusser will be present to try and make it two in a row, and keep his status as the pretender to the Grand Slam Indoor Super Bonus. Second in Paris, Simon Delestre will also be competing and try to notch up a victory which he was so close to achieving. We can also count on the presence of his fellow countryman, Olympic champion Kevin Staut, to thrill the AsiaWorld-Expo’s public, in particular during the second edition of the Longines Speed Challenge, after his second place in Paris.

He won’t be the only champion from the Rio Olympics present since Roger-Yves Bost will be among the riders competing, as well as the 2014 World individual and team silver medalist, Patrice Delaveau, the winner of the very first edition of the Longines Masters of Hong Kong in 2013. Germany will also be able to count on its champions such as Christian Ahlmann and the new prodigy of the Beerbaum stables, Christian Kukuk, without forgetting the former German rider, who is now Austrian, Max Kühner. The United Kingdom won’t to be outdone with legendary riders John Whitaker, the winner of the 2016 edition’s Grand Prix as well as his brother Michael. Robert Smith will complete this British delegation. Other leading figures of European show jumping will also be present such as Belgium’s Jérôme Guery and Switzerland’s Jane Richard Philips, Longines Ambassador of Elegance, as well as the talented American rider Reed Kessler.

Ever keen to promote equestrian sports on the international stage and, more specifically, to develop them to a greater extent in Asia, this year EEM, along with its founding partner, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, is once again organising special classes for the HKJC JETS (Junior Equestrian Training Squad). These are aimed at giving the younger generation a unique opportunity to compete in top level conditions and experience the Longines Masters first-hand.

Riders Masterlist Longines Masters Hong Kong

Kevin Staut (FRA) Simon Delestre (FRA) Christian Ahlmann (GER) Daniel Deusser (GER) Roger-Yves Bost (FRA) Jérôme Guery (BEL) Patrice Delaveau (FRA) Max Kuhner (AUT) Marc Houtzager (NED) John Whitaker (GBR) Emmanuel Gaudiano (ITA) Michael Whitaker (GBR) Christian Kukuk (GER) Abdel Said (EGY) Gerco Schröder (NED) Reed Kessler (USA) Robert Smith (GBR) Jane Richard Philips (SUI) Jamie Kermond (AUS) Billie Raymont (AUS) Vincent Bartin (FRA) Jacqueline Lai (HKG) Ping Yang Hsieh (TPE) Clarissa Lyra (HKG) Xinjia Zhang (CHN) Ana-Julia Kontio (FIN) MeiMei Zhu (CHN) Philip Weishaupt (GER) Olivier Robert (FRA)