The Longines Masters (link) took place in Los Angeles this month, featuring top horse jumpers in the world along with over one million dollars in prize money. Officially held in three major cities—LA, Paris & Hong Kong—the Longines Masters series is recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale as the most respected horse jumping competition worldwide.
Created by EEM in 2009, the first competition was called the Gucci Paris Masters and was renamed to Longines Master of Paris. This year is the 2nd year for the competition to come to Los Angeles.
Held over three days and broadcast to over 120 countries and 550 million households, it is the definitive event for those appreciating the art of horses, luxury and gastronomy. EEM CEO & Founder Christophe Ammeeuw is dedicated to bringing equestrian sports to an international stage.
DAY 1
One of the highlights of the day was when Eve Jobs, daughter of the late Steve Jobs, won the Écuries d’ Écaussinnes Trophy. Eve competed against Destry Spielberg as her parents, (Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw) watched from the sidelines.
At the end of the day, over 850 guests attended the opening gala in the Prestige Village lounge. Kaley Cuoco, Jessica Springsteen, Georgina Bloomberg and Hannah Selleck graced the crowd while guests sipped on Rothschild wine and champagne. 2015 PanAmerican Games Gold Medalist Steffan Peters performed a Dressage demonstration to music by Powdercoat.
DAY 2
On day 2 of the event, Bertram Allen and Quiet Easy 4 won the Longines Speed challenge with an impressive time of 58.91 seconds. The Longines Speed Challenge has $130,000 in prize money and is a signature event in all three Longines Masters—Paris, Hong Kong & Los Angeles.
John Whitaker rode to victory on Argento in the Prix Airbus, the day’s first 5* level competition. He beat Edwina Tops-Alexander and Lintea Tequila by a mere 0.59 seconds in the jump-off. The win adds to his recent success in the series as the winner of the Gucci Gold Cup and Longines Grand Prix at the Longines Masters of Hong Kong. Whitaker and Argento are in great form and heating up in time to compete in Sunday’s Longines Grand Prix in hopes of winning the second leg of the Masters Grand Slam Super Bonus of $750,000.
We were given a tour of the stables which were beneath the main floor of the Longines Masters. We were able to pet the horses and see a behind the scenes glimpse of where the horses stay when they are not competing.
DAY 3
Day 3 of the event was the highlight of the entire weekend. The evening featured the Gucci Gold Cup for the first time in the American Competition. 36 of the world’s best riders jumped a course by Luc Musette.
Bill Gates, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa cheered on their children along with Camilla Belle, Jeannie Mai, Carly Steel, Alison Sweeney, Jean Claude Van Damme and many more throughout the day.
Our favorite part of the event was the Charity Pro-Am Style & Competition; one professional rider is paired with an amateur rider to compete for a certain charity. Each rider dressed up in a costume and rode to complementing music to their costumes. We saw Wonder Woman, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Alice & Wonderland, Dorothy among many others ride against each other in a fun spectacle.
Denise Richards, Perrey Reeves (Entourage) and KTLA anchor Sam Rubin judged the riders based on their performance and costumes. Kaley Cuoco and Tracy Wade were chosen as winners of the competition, dressed as Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader.
THE PRESTIGE VILLAGE
The Prestige Village was filled with a variety from vendors ranging from custom leather shoes and horse saddles to a pop-up Gucci Boutique.
Opera Gallery has an international gallery network of 10 galleries globally, situated in major art hubs including London, Paris and New York, as well as regional locations in Singapore, Seoul and Dubai. Their gallery was one of the main attractions in the Prestige Village.