It’s a tradition that Campo Militar Marte hosts the most outstanding international riders in the Global Champions League and Longines Global Champions Tour.
Mexico has very deep equestrian ties and for that reason the event founded by Olympic rider Jan Tops cannot be missed. Since 2016, the Mexican circuit has brought together the best riders in the show jumping discipline, where this year 18 competitions and the Heroic Military College parade were held to commemorate its bicentenary.
In an equestrian environment, Haute Horlogerie, art and cocktails couldn’t be missing, so in the VIP area we found the world’s first whiskey licensed since 1608, Bushmills, which led the master ice sculptor Enrique Vargas to better cool the single malt drink with customized and crystalline ices from Artik Art Mexico.
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time watch, the Longines DolceVita XYVY with leather bracelet and the latest EQS model from Mercedes Benz were an essential part of this event.
With live music, attendees were able to palate first class gastronomy with Millesime, taste a Marqués de Riscal at wine bar, enjoy Moët & Chandon bar, taste the Queretaro wines, and experience an innovative way to prepare cocktails with Maestro Dobel tequila.
Hermès had a very special guest from France.
No doubt, Hermès rider’s lounge always has a surprise, on this occasion the director of the Hermès equestrian métier Chloé Nobecourt, showed with great enthusiasm and a sincere smile, the Selle Rouge, to all the visitors who made questions and approached her. She told time and again about the benefits of the 7,300€ saddle, which can be used for any of the three Olympic disciplines: show jumping, dressage or eventing.
“The distinct to the Selle Rouge are its ultra-deep contour allowing for the rider to be closer to the horse, because the most important thing for Hermès is the harmony and connection between them.”
“This saddle brings technical modifications such as the incorporation of a small bag on the large flap, the block that provides stability to the legs and a small bag that when you close the flap prevents it from moving or sliding around. The function of the tree is the much thinner part that allows a maximum approach to the horse and the third point is the inside of the saddle, the savoir faire Hermès that is hiding the misery ‘cacher la misère’ which reveals the tree developed specifically for this saddle.”
Chloé told us “everything is customizable on this saddle, you can choose between the red color which is the emblematic color of the saddle at the moment, the Irish which is a natural color or black, the flaps can be more or less advanced, and in aesthetics there is a plan of customization options for the customer as they can change the color of the thread, the color of the leather and on the back of the cantle you can put a name on the plate,” she commented.
“Each saddle starts with the appointment with the saddle expert and each rider can choose between the Selle Rouge which is ultra-deep or one of medium deep seat, that depends of course on the morphology of the horse and the needs of the rider, that is why it is important that the experts come to analyze what the horse and the rider need to have an excellent union,” she concluded.
Awards, interviews, and competitions
On Thursday, April 20th, the competitions began at Campo Marte, among which we will highlight the GNP insurance in which the Mexicans swept the field, with Isaac Parada Urtaza in first, then Paulina Reguero Cortina and third Eduardo Sánchez Navarro, receiving the prize from Juan Manuel Cossio, president of Mexican Equestrian Federation.
At the end of the afternoon, the Master Dobel trophy was won by Irish Denis Lynch riding Cornets Iberio in a time of 31”45. Spain’s Eduardo Álvarez Aznar with 33’”97 on D’Orient Batilly, while in third position was Switzerland’s Jane Richard with Fouego de la Closiere in 34’”61.
Through the day’s competitions, we were able to talk with Álvarez Aznar, who told us that he began his relationship with horses at a very young age. “My father is a rider, he has been a rider all his life, he has competed in the Olympics, and I have lived it practically since I was born.
With 17-18 years was when I decided to dedicate myself professionally to this, I spent two years at Thomas Fuchs’ stables in Switzerland and then I continued my career in Spain with my father helping me and learning from the riders I have been able to train with them.”
He likes to compete more on grass than on sand, said Eduardo, “it’s a natural terrain for the horse, it’s where they are raised and where they graze, at the end in the sand there is more equality because every 15 or 20 horses pass the tractor, the harrow and the ground is completely level, but the beauty of the grass isn’t in the sand.”
And he concludes with his experience on ice “I have never jumped on snow, but I have ridden a horse on snow and although it’s very nice, at the same time it is dangerous, ice balls form on the horses’ hooves and when you get out of the snow onto the road and have to cross a road, it’s really like skating on ice,” the Spanish rider smiles with amusement.
On Friday the Global Champions League competitions took place. The first phase was as follows:
First place Reisenbeck International team formed by Philipp Schulze Topphoff and Christian Kukuk with a total of 144’’79.
Second place Madrid in Motion with riders Laura Kraut and Eduardo Alvarez Aznar with a time of 145’’53.
In third place Paris Panthers formed by Jug Vrieling and Gregory Wathelet achieved a time of 147’’48.
While the second phase was won by
Reisenbeck International with Philipp Schulze Topphoff and Christian Kukuk with a total of 159’’30 and won the top prize of 32,618€.
In second place rises to the front Paris Panthers with Jug Vrieling and Gregory Wathelet with 151’’91 and won the prize money of 27,253€.
To leave Madrid in Motion in third with the riders Eduardo Álvarez Aznar and Maikel van der Vleuten with a time of 152’’06 and a prize of 22,061€.
The day ended with a spectacular party with lasers and drones lighting up the Polanco sky, DJ music, cocktails with Maestro Dobel and Bushmills tequila, light and dark beer from Stella Artois, Moët & Chandon, wines from the Queretaro area and a lot of fun.
On Saturday 22nd, the British rider Scott Brash won the Mercedes Benz trophy on his horse Hello Mr. President with 32’”84. Second place went to the French rider Nina Mallevaey on Crack d’la Rousserie in a time of 33’”50, while the Portuguese rider Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida riding Dawson Flexcon was third with only 20 hundredths of a second more than Nina.
The Banorte prize was won by Germany’s Christian Kukuk riding Mumbai, second was Brazil’s Yuri Mansur on Miss Blue Mystic Rose and third was the American Laura Kraut riding Bisquetta in 38”95, just 4 hundredths of a second behind her compatriot Lillie Keenan who is proud of her achievements “the most important thing is passion, whether it is riding or any other sport it is important to practice it from a very early age and that is why I invite all children and young people to follow their dreams,” she told us.
Sunday was the final of the Banorte 1.50 m high competition where world number one Henrick von Eckermann and his mare Glamour Girl won first place, second place went to Ireland’s Shane Breen on Haya and third place went to Brazil’s Francisco José Mesquita Musa riding Catch me Marathon.
It was an emotional Longines Global Champions Tour when German rider David Will riding his horse My Prins van Dorperheide took the honor lap by winning the Grand Prix for the first time and winning 108,900€ in 43”16. Second place went to Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Indiana for a prize of 66,000€ in 43”57 and rounding off the podium with a prize of 49,500€ in 44”26 for American Laura Kraut riding Baloutinue.
The Global Champions League ended rewarding three Mexicans in the Palacio de Hierro competition, with Nicolas Pizarro in first place, Francisco Pasquel Vega in second and Patricio Pasquel in third.
Comments