The competitions are just as extraordinary as the setting in Beijing’s Olympic Stadium, the “Bird’s Nest”: “This year we have come up with a new challenge for the riders. A spectacular team jumping competition is awaiting them before the big Final, the Longines Grand Prix on Sunday,” said an enthusiastic Jing Li, President of Dashing Equestrian. “Each team, comprising of one international rider and two Chinese riders, will be battling for victory on Saturday evening in the floodlit jumping class,” she said, explaining the concept of the team competition.
The draw that determines which Chinese riders will be pairing up with which of the twelve top athletes, who include among others Ludger Beerbaum, the double World and European Champion Jeroen Dubbeldam, France’s top female rider Penelope Leprevost and the number one in the world rankings Scott Brash, will take place on Friday evening. However, prior to that there is another important item on the agenda for the international riders: the allocation of the borrowed horses. Because due to the Chinese quarantine regulations, they won’t be bringing their own horses with them to the show, but will be riding Chinese horses instead – this is guaranteed to increase the excitement of the competitions: Which riders will be able to get in tune with the foreign horses the fastest?
