By Zhu Zhengguang, Sports Weekly Reporter — The 2nd Longines Hong Kong Masters, hailed as the equestrian highlight of the Year of the Horse, dazzled audiences from February 21 to 23 at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, China. Swiss luxury watchmaker Longines once again served as the Official Partner and Official Timekeeper of the event. Elegant Longines ambassador Aaron Kwok attended and showed his support for the competition, jokingly saying, “This is a fantastic event, and I hope it can be held here for the next two hundred years.”
● A Grand Kickoff to Equestrian Events in the Year of the Horse
Like last year’s inaugural Longines Hong Kong Masters, this year’s three-day extravaganza blended sports, live performances, art exhibitions, champagne, world-class cuisine, and international brand shopping. Thirty elite riders from 14 different countries and regions competed, including four Olympic medalists, six world champions, and five European champions. With two competitions each day, a total of six CSCI 5* (five-star) show jumping events were held over the three days, with a prize purse of $1 million. Sixty-two of the world’s top show jumping horses had arrived in Hong Kong earlier aboard a specially chartered Emirates Boeing 777F flight from Europe.
The Longines Speed Challenge required participants to clear all obstacles in the shortest time possible, with a two-second penalty added to the final score for each knocked-down rail. In this year’s Longines Speed Challenge, French riders swept the podium. Kevin Staut riding “Qing du Rouet HDC” claimed victory in 65.37 seconds. Staut, who represented France at the 2012 London Olympics, was followed by compatriots Simon Delestre and Pénélope Leprevost, who took second and third place, respectively.
The Longines Grand Prix, held on February 23 with a total purse of $700,000 and a champion’s award of $231,000, was the grand finale of the Longines Hong Kong Masters. Riders had to successfully clear multiple 1.6-meter-high fences. Each rider had to pre-measure the distance between obstacles before the competition and then adjust the number of strides their horse would take between each fence based on the horse’s size. Four human steps roughly equal one horse stride, so there were approximately six to seven horse strides between each fence.
In the end, Swedish rider Henrik von Eckermann and his 13-year-old mount “Gotha FRH” triumphed with a time of 41.64 seconds. Ukrainian rider Olena Kholosha and her horse Charlie secured second place and $140,000 with a time of 45.52 seconds, while German rider Ludger Beerbaum and his horse Chaman came in third, earning $105,000. Longines Global CEO Matthias Breschan, Swatch Group (Hong Kong) Managing Director Lukas Gschwind, and Aaron Kwok presented the elegant and exquisite Longines timepieces to the winners.
As the homegrown competitor, 25-year-old Kenneth Cheng was the only Hong Kong team member in the event. Competing in the Longines Grand Prix, he fell off his horse at the sixth obstacle and withdrew from the competition. After the Masters, Cheng will return to Belgium to intensify his training in preparation for the Incheon Asian Games in September.
● The Student Outshines the Master
Off the course, they are mentor and friend; on the course, they are rivals. Such is the relationship between Swedish rider von Eckermann and German rider Beerbaum. Von Eckermann considers Beerbaum his longtime mentor, and this year’s Longines Grand Prix turned into a battle between teacher and student. In the end, the student won, while four-time Olympic gold medalist Beerbaum had to settle for third. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post commented that the apprentice had taught the master a lesson.
Eleven years ago, when von Eckermann was 22 and just starting out as a rider, he went to Germany to learn from Beerbaum, a four-time Olympic individual and team gold medalist. “We trained together every day back then. Without him, I wouldn’t have realized my dream today,” von Eckermann said after his win. “I’m very grateful to him.”
Beerbaum finished in 50.81 seconds. “I didn’t expect to take third place,” the 50-year-old said cheerfully at the press conference. “It’s a wonderful surprise. Another piece of good news is that our team member won the competition. I can’t really call him an apprentice anymore—he’s more like a colleague. He won the championship, and I’ll be smiling for a long time. I’ll enjoy this as much as I can because it might be a while before I achieve such a great victory again. This competition was a huge success, with many top-level riders, a truly world-class event in a beautiful city.”
At the Longines Grand Prix, Germans dominated the scene. Champion von Eckermann is the protégé of Germany’s Beerbaum, who took third, while runner-up Olena Kholosha was also born in Germany but has represented Ukraine since 2008. Kholosha, another standout rider in the past two Longines Hong Kong Masters, won the Longines Speed Challenge in 2012 on February 28 with a time of 64.61 seconds. Her back-to-back strong performances in Hong Kong have convinced her that the city is her lucky charm. “I love it here. Coming down from the arena and hearing the warm cheers from the Hong Kong crowd is a truly special feeling,” Kholosha said.
The 3rd Longines Hong Kong Masters will be held from February 12 to 15 next year.
Longines・Equestrian Knowledge Classroom
Longines shares core values with equestrian sports, much like its brand philosophy of “Elegance is an Attitude.” Moreover, its watchmaking philosophy, which emphasizes precision, pursuit of excellence, and respect for tradition, continues to spark remarkable synergy with equestrianism. In January 2013, Longines signed a landmark ten-year agreement with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), becoming its Official Partner, Official Timekeeper, and Official Watch Partner. As the Title Partner of the “Longines Hong Kong Masters,” Longines contributed its rich experience and superior technology in timing. Longines’ passion for equestrian sports dates back to 1878, when it produced a chronograph featuring images of a jockey and horse and allowed users to time in seconds—greatly favored by riders and equine enthusiasts. By 1886, it was widely used by stewards at New York racetracks. Today, Longines is involved in various equestrian disciplines, including show jumping, flat racing, and endurance riding.
The “Masters” is a star-studded event that attracts the world’s top equestrian athletes competing for substantial prize money. The Longines Hong Kong Masters, first held in 2013, is the newest addition to the “Masters” series in Hong Kong. Other events this year include the “Paris Masters” in December and the “Los Angeles Masters” in September. On average, each Masters competition draws up to 50,000 spectators from around the world, with over 500 million TV households tuning in globally. The Longines Hong Kong Masters is one of the world’s premier show jumping events and currently the only CSI5* internationally sanctioned equestrian show jumping competition in Asia.
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