Equestrian Beijing Masters to be held in October
The 11th Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters will take place from Oct. 10-13 at the National Stadium, also known as the Birds Nest, organizers announced.
A photo captures riders on horseback during the 10th Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters in 2023. [Photo courtesy of Longines]
The flagship equestrian event, supported by the China Equestrian Association (CEA), will bring together top riders from around the world to compete in the Chinese capital.
The "Road to the Bird's Nest Series," the official qualifier for the Masters, kicked off with its first event May 4-5 at the Dongguan Camelot Equestrian in Guangdong province. Dates and venues for subsequent qualifiers in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Sichuan divisions will be announced later.
Since its inception in 2011 at the National Stadium, the Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters has organized 10 editions with support from the International Equestrian Federation and the CEA. It's the longest-running classic international equestrian event, held continuously at the world's first dual Olympic venue for over a decade.
The event has grown into one of Asia's largest international equestrian competitions. Last year's edition featured eight levels of competition with over 300 rider-horse pairs from 14 countries and regions, including Olympic and top-ranked riders. Liang Ruiji became the first Chinese champion in the Longines Grand Prix last year.
Organizers said the Beijing Masters aims to promote equestrian sports and culture in China while enhancing regional exchanges and raising the country's profile in international equestrian events. They have pledged to uphold the event's esteemed reputation by expanding its scale, optimizing the venue layout, intensifying media outreach and enhancing rider services.