Longines Masters in Hong Kong on the way to set the bar

Hong Kong, December 2016 – The Longines Masters of Hong Kong, one of the city’s major annual sporting events, will take place from 10 to 12 February 2017 at AsiaWorld-Expo. As a “Founding Partner”, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is pleased to support the finale of the Grand Slam Indoor of Show Jumping – one of the most prestigious five-star equestrian events in the world. Highlights include the HKJC Trophy on the opening night, the Longines Grand Prix and the HKJC Race of the Riders.

The Longines Masters series – the Grand Slam Indoor of Show Jumping – is renowned as one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the world. A rider winning three consecutive Grand Prix events in Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong in the same season can claim a super bonus of 2.25 million Euros (about HK$18 million). As the last stop on the tour, the Masters of Hong Kong will be broadcast in more than 120 countries, reaching up to 500 million households.

More than 20 top riders from around the world have been invited to participate in the Masters of Hong Kong, including Olympic gold medallists and world champions. Total prize amount will be more than HK$7.7 million.

A major highlight on the first day, in addition to the HKJC Trophy, will be the HKJC Race of the Riders. Four Hong Kong jockeys – Neil Callan, Vincent Ho, Derek Leung and defending champion, Joao Moreira – will each partner with a leading equestrian in a relay race. Bringing together the skills of horse racing and equestrian sport, the event is an opportunity to experience the strong partnership between horses and riders as they seek to navigate the course and beat the clock.

With the aim of promoting local equestrian sport, the Club is once again sponsoring about 1,600 local students and less privileged members of the community to attend the competition. Some of them will also have a chance to go down onto the floor of the arena to feel the competition atmosphere and get a close-up look at the course with its challenging jumps.

Meanwhile, members of the public will be able to learn more about the Masters through online games. Winners will receive tickets to the Masters and the opportunity to experience horse riding for themselves at one of the Club’s public riding schools.

During the three-day competition, Hong Kong’s future stars, the junior riders from the HKJC Equestrian Training Squad, will also test their skills in the main arena in “Exhibition Jumps” sessions.

As a world-class horse racing organisation, the HKJC is a long-term supporter of equestrian sport in Hong Kong. Since opening in the 1970s, the public riding schools operated by the Club have attracted many thousands of people to learn riding skills and horse care, with some 60,000 visits each year. Equestrian sports became even more popular following the equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, held in Hong Kong with the Club’s support. The HKJC Equestrian Team and HKJC Junior Equestrian Training Squad were established by the Club in the same year with the aim of developing the potential of Hong King’s most talented riders. Several members have already won medals in international competitions. To further enhance the capabilities of local riders, the Club launched the Hong Kong Equestrian Performance Plan in January this year. This merit-based programme is designed to nurture Hong Kong’s high-performing riders as they strive for equestrian excellence on the world stage.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a not-for-profit enterprise dedicated to community betterment. Through its integrated business model of world-class racing, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution, the Club generates substantial economic and social value and assists the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2015/16 the Club donated a record HK$3.9 billion to charity and paid a record HK$20.9 billion in tax. It is Hong Kong’s largest single tax payer and one of the world’s largest charity donors. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.

20 December 2016