The heart-pounding action
of the Longines Masters series is returning to New York on
April 25-28, and it’s an event you won’t want to miss. From
exhilarating show jumping action from the word’s top riders
to exquisite dining and live entertainment, the Longines
Masters of New York (LMNY) should definitely be on your
calendar.
• It’s the final stop of the 2018-2019 Longines Masters Series
and top riders from all over the world will converge in
New York at the NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans
Memorial Coliseum for four days of action-packed show
jumping, incredible shopping, and family fun.
• The Riders Masters Cup (RMC) provides thrilling, highspeed
team competition as the Riders USA team takes on
the Riders Europe squad in a series of exciting transatlantic
speed duels. The New York stop is the fourth leg of the series,
which takes place on the Paris and New York Longines
Masters events. After the Riders Europe team won the first
three RMC events in Paris in 2017, and then New York and
Paris in 2018, Riders USA representatives are hungry for
redemption on home turf.
On Saturday, April 27, during the LMNY, you’ll see some of
the fastest riders in the world lay it all on the line for a team
win in the Riders Masters Cup. Robert Ridland will guide the
Riders USA team as Chef d’Equipe, while Philippe Guerdat
acts as Chef d’Equipe for Riders Europe. Five riders from
each team go head-to-head in two rounds of speed duels,
with the chefs d’equipe from each team being very strategic
in who they choose for each match-up. Wins in Round
1 earn the rider’s team 10 points, while in Round 2 things
get more heated with each win accumulating 20 points for
the team.
In the Riders Masters Cup at the 2018 LMNY, the team title
came down to a breathtaking race between USA’s McLain
Ward and Europe’s Harrie Smolders. Both riders held nothing
back as they galloped around, but Smolders stopped
the timers a few seconds faster than Ward to give Riders
Europe the victory.
“That final duel was really one for the ages,” said Ridland
about the 2018 finish. “It’s really exciting to see the top riders
in the world going for speed. It’s a great format. We’ll
be back again!”
• If you like seeing top riders set the crowd alight with blazing
speed, you’ll love the Longines Speed Challenge at
LMNY on Friday, April 26. It’s known as the fastest class in
the world, and riders don’t hold back as they race for the
win. Instead of the usual four seconds added for a rail, only
two seconds get added to a rider’s time for each rail, making
riders feel brave about taking all the risks.
Kevin Staut won the Longines Speed Challenge at Paris in
December 2018. The French crowd chanted “Kevin, Kevin,”
as Staut entered the ring, then cheered wildly and shook
French flags as he turned and burned on Ayade de Septon
et HDC to take the victory. “The strategy we developed
with Philippe Guerdat was to be cautious in the beginning.
Then, I felt Ayade de Septon HDC was really game,” Staut
said. “She was going better and better and proved generous
all along, so I started taking risks. My concentration
tuned out the noise, but I felt the crowd behind us.”
• The top international riders will go head to head again for
the prestigious title of winner of the Longines Grand Prix
64 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
Harrie Smolders With an amazingly fast final
round, Harrie Smolders clinched the victory for
Riders Europe in the Riders Masters Cup at the
2018 Longines Masters of New York.
Photo by Christophe Taniere
1100 RREEAASSOONNSS You Don’t Want To
Miss The
Longines Masters
Of New York
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com