by Heather Wallace
The Longines Masters of New York returned for its second annual event at the Nassau Coliseum, April 25-28, 2019 and was broadcast live on www.EEM.TV and on CBS Sports.
Following in the footsteps of Paris and Hong Kong, New York is the third event in the Longines Masters series held worldwide and reputed to be a luxury equestrian event, bringing socialites and families together in one venue on United States soil.
The Masters One 1.45m event on Thursday, April 25th introduced five-star riders to New York, followed by the Masters Two 1.15m- 1.40m speed event. Day Two was all about speed and considered the fastest class in the world on a 1.50m track designed by Frank Rothenberger. The exciting class resulted in Egyptian Nayel Nassar winning the Longines Speed Challenge on Lucifer V.
The highlight of Day Three was the Riders Masters Cup, a unique team-based event pitting five members from the USA against five European riders in a head-to-head battle. Despite strong rides from McLain Ward and Kristen Vanderveen, teammate Laura Chapot’s mount refused a fence in the first round, resulting in the US riders falling behind in points. As a result, the European team won for the third consecutive year much to the disappointment of local fans cheering on their home riders.
Riders Masters Cup Photo Gallery - click image to view larger
The final day drew a large crowd for the Olympic-level Grand Prix 1.60m with 29 of the best horse and rider combinations of the week. The challenging course resulted in several time faults but resulted in 12 riders competing in the final jump-off to compete for the $400,000 Grand Prize. Six riders from six different countries jumped clear in a battle that came down to only a split second. Ultimately, in an exciting show of speed and horsemanship, the last rider of the evening has crowned the winner, Nayel Nassar on Lucifer V. For the first time in history the champion of the Speed Challenge also won the Grand Prix in the same event and on the same horse!
Grand Prix Photo Gallery - click image to view larger
It has long been the ambition of EEM Founder and CEO Christophe Ameeuw to establish a prestigious indoor event in the US, and the energy and enthusiasm of New York City seemed a natural fit. Christophe said, “I am counting on your support and friendship, to not only make the Longines Masters a success for itself but also, to make its mark on New York City.”
The iconic Longines horse greeted attendees who browsed the prestigious shops and goods such as Lami-Cell, Prestige Italia, Lamborghini, and of course Longines among others. Children were drawn to the kid’s corner for fun and games, while their parents enjoyed acrobats and Santi Serra liberty horsemanship demonstrations between bouts of watching the world’s top show jumpers.
The multi-day event completed with a press conference featuring event creator Christophe Ameeux, and riders Nayel Nassar and Olivier Philppaerts, the latter who came in third for the Grand Prix. During the conference, Christophe announced the addition of a brand new event in the series, which will occur in Lausanne June 20-23, 2019, the headquarters of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the Olympic Capital.
The Longines Masters has undoubtedly made its mark in New York City and the world as intended. They are well on their way to fulfill the ultimate goal, enticing new fans to the equestrian sport of showjumping with the promise of luxury, excitement, and world class riders.
Longines Masters Photo Gallery - click image to view larger
About the Author
Heather Wallace is the author and photographer for the blog,
