Their disciplines are different, but one idea unites the football trainer, Felix Magath, with the show-jumper Ludger Beerbaum and the Sports Manager Michael Mronz: They are stiriving to promote sports in China. Magath has been training the Chinese premiere league football club, Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C., from the city of Jinan since June, whilst together with Chinese partners Beerbaum and Mronz have been jointly organising the “Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters” in Peking. The special thing about this show is its concept: The best riders in China compete against some of the best riders in the world with the aim of this ultimately leading to their improvement. The sport is accompanied by courses, training and lectures. Starting with themes such as feeding and blacksmiths, to horse management, through to the most important theme “The Welfare of the Horse”, the responsible and conscious handling of their partner the horse. Upon the invitation of Mronz, Felix Magath attended the “Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters” in the “Bird’s Nest”, the Chinese national stadium in the Olympic Park of Peking, as a guest. Together with Ludger Beerbaum they engaged in an exchange about sport in China and the experiences they have made. Then, there was a bit of “horse feeling” for the successful football trainer, because he dared to mount a horse for the very first time in his life. “Doesn’t look bad at all,” grinned Beerbaum.
