Leading Up To Longines Masters: 10 Showjumpers To Watch

If you want to rub shoulders with celebrities, aristocrats and even royalty, skip the Oscars and miss Paris Fashion Week. Instead, get yourself a ticket to a major showjumping competition—a sport long favoured by the global elite. Although many showjumpers come from money, their life in the saddle isn’t simply a means to idle away their time or fritter away the family fortune. Showjumping is a demanding sport, requiring hours of training every day. If they’re successful, the prize money at leading showjumping events can run into millions of US dollars. If you're interested in the elite world of equestrianism, these are the 10 showjumpers you need to know, including Reed Kessler who will be competing at this year's Longines Masters:

1. Edie Campbell

Above Photo: Courtesy of Linda Brownlee

When Edie Campbell isn’t walking the runway or fronting campaigns for brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, you can find her competing in equestrian events up and down the UK. She dreams of competing at Badminton and Burghley, Britain’s two premier events, and is well on her way.

2. Zara Tindall

Above Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images

Sixteenth in line to the British throne, Zara Tindall is the daughter of Princess Anne and the Queen’s oldest granddaughter. She began riding at the age of three and has never stopped. She currently competes in events around the UK and won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in the equestrian team event.

3. Charlotte Casiraghi

Above Photo: Mario Testino for Vogue

Another royal, Charlotte Casiraghi is the daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and granddaughter of the late Princess Grace of Monaco. One of Gucci’s official equestrian ambassadors, she can be seen sporting the Italian brand’s threads at showjumping competitions around the world.

4. Jessica Springsteen

Above Photo: Courtesy of Noelle Floyd

The daughter of rock star Bruce, Jessica Springsteen has represented the United States at the Olympics and picked up a couple of wins on the Longines Global Champions Tour 2017. She was born in the US but is based in Holland to be close to her trainer, Edwina Tops-Alexander.

5. Alex Hua Tian

Above Photo: Courtesy of Paul Xia

Nicknamed “one in a billion” because he’s the first person to ever compete for Mainland China at an Olympic equestrian event, Alex Hua Tian is a champion rider, an ambassador for Gieves & Hawkes and an all-around gentleman. He competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and 2016 Olympics in Rio, and is now training for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

6. Reed Kessler

Above Photo: Pinterest

Just 18 years old when she qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London, Reed Kessler was the youngest rider in showjumping history to compete at the Games. As well as riding on the US equestrian team, Kessler is a key member of the Hermès US showjumping team.

Her father, Murray Kessler, is the president and chairman of Lorillard Tobacco Company, but you won’t catch her puffing on a cigarette.

7. Jennifer Gates

Above Photo: Courtesy of Noelle Floyd

The daughter of Bill and Melinda, Jennifer Gates has been showjumping competitively since she was a teenager. To support their daughter, the tech tycoons bought two equestrian estates—the US$18 million, 92-hectare Rancho Paseana in California and an US$$8.7 million property in Wellington, Florida.The investment is paying off, as Gates won the US Equestrian Federation Under-25 National Championship in November last year.

8. Eve Jobs

Above Photo: Courtesy of McCool Photography

Just as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates went head to head in Silicon Valley, their daughters Jennifer Gates and Eve Jobs are now facing off at equestrian events. But anyone expecting a vicious rivalry will be disappointed. The pair are on far friendlier terms than their fathers were.

Jobs only recently graduated from high school but she’s was already named Rider of the Month in March last year by the Kentucky-based Show Jumping Hall of Fame.

9. Olivier and Nicola Philippaerts

Above Photo: Courtesy of Lena Saugen

Showjumping runs in the Belgian twins’ blood. Their father, Ludo, is a four-time Olympian and their mother, Veronique, competed in high-level dressage competitions. In 2012, Olivier became the youngest rider ever to win the CN International Grand Prix at the CSIO Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament in Alberta, Canada, and in 2017 he won the Hong Kong Tatler Trophy at the Longines Hong Kong Masters.

Despite his recent international successes, Nicola defeated him at the Belgian Championships last year to claim the trophy. Although they normally compete against each other, the twins pair up to model for H&M’s equestrian portal, H&M We Love Horses.

The 2018 Longines Hong Kong Masters will take place from February 9–11 at AsiaWorld-Expo. Find out more at longinesmasters.com and purchase your tickets here

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Longines Masters equestrian Society Hong Kong Events

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