With 30 days to go to the CSIO Barcelona competition, the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona is all set to welcome the world's best riders and horses. From September 24th to 27th the Barcelona club will open the doors of its Olympic facilities to Spain's oldest international sporting event, which this year celebrates its 104th edition. After the celebration of the different world leagues, and only missing the last two qualified nations from Europe Division 2, Belgium, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, Ireland, Netherland, Sweden and Spain as the home team, arriving from Europe Division 1, and Mexico, USA, Brasil, Venezuela, Australia, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, have already confirmed their participation at the third Furusiyya FEI Nations CupTM Jumping Final taking place in Barcelona. In addition to the three team competitions (first qualifier, the Longines Challenge Cup and the Furusiyya Final), CSIO Barcelona also includes six other tremendously challenging individual competitions, with special highlights being the Queen's Cup - Segura Viudas Trophy and Longines Cup of the City of Barcelona. More than 50,000 spectators will not only revel in four days of the best equestrian sport currently to be had, but they will also enjoy all those attractive extras that make CSIO Barcelona one of the world's unique events. Its attractive village will have more than forty exhibitor stands offering a very wide range of products. There will be also a refurbished food court that will satisfy the most demanding of palettes and where visitors will find a great variety of Spanish food in the form of tapas, a huge selection of fruit, and the most sophisticated cakes from one of the city's most select confectioners. Haute cuisine and entertainment But, CSIO Barcelona also offers an attractive restaurant with panoramic views and an appetizing gourmet menu with which to enjoy the lunchtime competitions. Genuine fans of our event have two unmissable dates to put in their diaries as the organizers have two spectacular dinners planned for the Friday and Sunday evenings, coinciding with the Longines Challenge Cup and the Furusiyya Grand Final. The Real Club de Polo de Barcelona catering service has designed two delicious menus for the occasion that are guaranteed to be a success. (For reservation contact through csiobarcelona@rcpolo.com). And, completing the planned programme, are two wonderful shows that will round off these evening events. The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art Foundation will visit the Olympic arena on the Friday. With the support of SEAT, they will be offering us "Cómo bailan los caballos Andaluces" ("How Andalusian horses dance"). This world-famous exhibition based on equestrian ballet and building on haute école and doma vaquera (a traditional Spanish working riding discipline) choreography, also features Spanish music and costumes from the 18th century. On the Saturday night, Furusiyya and the FEI will again amaze us with a show they have been working on for several months and that will include a concert from one of pop music's current superstars. The yet-to-be-revealed artist will take to the stage on Saturday, September 26th, following the prize-giving ceremony for the winners of the Furusiyya FEI Nations CupTM Jumping Final. In addition to this, and throughout the duration of the event, the competitions will alternate with another exhibition, sponsored by Estrella Damm and performed by France's Audrey Hasta Luego. Her show is divided into three parts, each using completely different riding styles, and will delight adults and children alike. A new obstacle for the city Also, the winning project of the first "A jump for the city" design contest was announced a few weeks ago. This innovative contest called on students from the city's main art and trade schools to design an obstacle, representing an emblematic monument or area of Barcelona, for later inclusion in the show jumping courses of the CSIO Barcelona event. The winning design, the work of young designers Lorenzo Patuzzo y Sara Catalán, recreates an architectural grouping composed of the popular Barcelona Towers and Frank Gehry's golden fish in Barcelona's Olympic Village. As a prize, the new obstacle will have a prominent place at CSIO Barcelona 2015. In addition, CSIO Barcelona wants to pay its own tribute to Don Quijote de La Mancha, as the novel celebrates 400 years since its publication. To that end, the event has dedicated a colorful mural inspired by the history of the popular character and located in the warm-up arena of the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. This work of art has been created by a group of three artists, Skount, Emilio Cerezo and Antonio Laguna.
