Better than a simple rehearsal

The trials for an important international event (such as the Olympics or a World Championship) are in general of a lower sports level. What matters more is the test-event of technique under real-life conditions, but in tournaments that do not emphasize the beauty of the sport itself. In Lyon, it’s completely different.

This international five-star horse show (from 30t October until 3rd November), real “pre-final” of the World Cup, will host twenty nations (!) and five continents with eight of the world’s Top 10 riders according to the latest FEI Longines jumping ranking.

Australia, North and South America, south-western Asia and Africa (Morocco) are thus coming to Lyon from 30th October on. The riders are not only coming for a quick scan over the place where the final of the World Cup is being organized for next April, but primarily to take part in one of the most important stages of the international circuit and to particularly try to win the prestigious LONGINES Grand Prix presented by GL events (200.000 €), or to do like the European Champion Roger-Yves Bost did last year when he won the Equita’ Masters presented by Equidia Life (100.000 €) with Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois.

The popular European Champion will be in the spotlight at Eurexpo, but there will be a few riders to keep him company. The Olympic Champion and former winner in Lyon, Steve Guerdat always shows a great performance at Equita’. So did last year the two British Olympic Champions and European Champions in team: Scott Brash, who just won a World Cup qualifier in Oslo, and Ben Maher, the individual European Champion runner up.
Michael Whitaker, who went with them to Hernig, will also come along with them to Lyon!
The list of stars that will be present in Lyon goes on: the German rider and long-term world #1 Christian Ahlmann; legendary Ludger Beerbaum, one of Equita’s most fervent supporters; the Brazilian threefold winner of the World Cup, World Champion in 1998 and Olympic Champion in 2004, Rodrigo Pessoa; the Australian Edwina Alexander; the Swede Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, the Swissmen Pius Schwizer and Beat Mändli – in short: almost all of the world’s greatest riders have chosen to come to Lyon in November, five months before the LONGINES FEI WORLD CUPTM FINAL.

When it comes to the French masters of show jumping, it’s very clear – they will all be there, although the winners of the Nations Cup in Barcelona in September are likely to particularly catch the audience’s attention: Aymeric de Ponnat and Armitages Boy, Pénélope Leprévost, Simon Delestre and Patrice Delaveau. The couple that placed third in the World Cup final in Göteborg, Kevin Staut and Silvana HDC*, will also be present. In any case, the French audience in Lyon (people do come from very far away to Equita’) will be able to live a dream in November: This rehearsal will have the taste of a final!

The Goodbyes of a Great Man

Michel Robert chose Equita’ 2013 for his farewell from the competition after 44 years of good and loyal participation as a representative of French teams in eventing and show jumping. With twelve medals in international championships and the Olympics, Michel holds the record in France. The sports director of Equita’ has a reputation for his respect of horses and his classic riding style that prioritizes the welfare of his horses. He has a strong desire to pass on this know-how from now on. His goodbyes to competitions will be celebrated on the Equita’ arena… but those goodbyes are not to the entire world of show jumping, as we are certain to see the great champion on the borders of arenas again.

Dressage: Valentina TRUPPA (Italy), who is always lucky in Lyon and placed third in the World Cup final in 2012, will be the head of this year’s series in the international dressage tournament. This competition will have the taste of a World Cup, and we will be able to follow the French participants Marc Boblet, Julia Chevanne, Catherine Henriquet and Laurence Sautet in search of a wild-card for the final in April.

And: save the date.

WORLD CUP FINALS IN LYON, April 17 to 21, 2014