The show-jumper, Jane Richard Philips, from Switzerland claimed the victory in the “Longines Grand Prix” at the “Equestrian Beijing Masters” with Leonidas. The Longines ambassador asserted herself against Ludger Beerbaum (Germany) and Meimei Zhu (China). “She totally deserved to win,” the previous year winner, Beerbaum, commented on the victory of his colleague. Richard Philips was delighted, “I feel terrific, what an achievement winning here in this fantastic stadium.” The “Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters” is staged in the legendary “Bird’s Nest”, the Chinese national stadium in the heart of the Olympic Park in Beijing. Ten riders had qualified for the jump-off – including six Chinese riders, Great Britain’s show-jumping legend, John Whitaker, and the current leader in the Longines ranking, Christian Ahlmann from Germany. When Jane Richard Philips entered the ring, Thomas Müller will have also been watching from far away. The German national football player is namely the co-owner of "Leonidas", the horse Richard Philips rode – whom Ludger Beerbaum incidentally won the show with last year. “A super horse, we were a perfect team,” stated Jane Richard Philips. The riders compete at the "Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters" on borrowed horses due to the Chinese quarantine regulations. Ten international and the best Chinese riders have been competing against each other individually and in a team competition since Friday. This special concept of competing against the best riders in the world strives to further improve the level of the top Chinese riders. The supporting programme also includes classes at national level, training sessions and courses. 150 Chinese riders entered the ring over the course of the three-day show.
