Cream of the crop arrives for Hong Kong Masters showjumping
Hello My Lady and Hello Annie, the two mounts of British world number one showjumper Scott Brash, were among 62 horses which arrived on a flight from Europe for the Longines Hong Kong Masters this weekend.
"Both horses travelled well and I had no problems," said 22-year-old groom Hannah Colman. "I was more excited than them in fact, as this is my first competition experience in Hong Kong and I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time."
The three-day event gets under way on Friday at the AsiaWorld Expo and features the top 25 riders in the Longines world rankings vying for total prize money of US$1 million.
"We had 58 showjumping horses on the flight plus two dressage horses and two horses for the new equestrian art performance by Santi Serra - a total of 62 horses," said Christophe Ameeuw, chief organiser of the Hong Kong Masters. "While the showjumping horses are used to long flights, it was the first international flight for the other four."
With stakes high, organisers have gone to great lengths to ensure the comfort of the horses with safety being paramount. The horses were transferred to AsiaWorld Expo where they underwent a veterinary check. They will remain under 24-hour veterinary supervision for the duration of their stay.
A bonus of €1 million (HK$8.77 million) is at stake if any rider completes a masters grand slam by winning in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Paris.
