Lyon, France – November 02, 2023 – There’s going to be some great sport in the ring at Longines Equita Lyon CSI 5*-W, Concours Hippique InternationaI, for the third leg of the Western European League’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup. Truly amazing sport! It’s quite simple: all the best riders in the world have made Lyon an essential event on their winter calendar and are expected at Lyon-Eurexpo from 1 to 5 November.

To find out who the headliners of the Lyon leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup are, take a look at the ‘strongmen’ of the moment,those at the top of the Longines FEI Rankings, the reigning champions, or those who have distinguished themselves in the first two Scandinavian legs of the elite winter circuit: you’ll have a glimpse of the exceptional line-up expected in Auvergne-RhôneAlpes for Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International!

Since 2009, when it joined the Western European legs of the FEI Jumping World Cup, Lyon has become one of the favourite events for the greatest show jumpers, where they know that their legend can continue to be written, in front of an everincreasing number of spectators and media from all over the world. The 2023 edition of Longines Equita Lyon will be no exception to the rule. The 7,000 spectators in the stands at Lyon-Eurexpo can expect a merciless confrontation between several of the world’s greatest equestrians.

A clash between, wait for it: Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann (SWE), the current World number 1, the reigning world champion, the winner of the Longines FEI World Cup Final, who won the Equita Masters presented by Hermès Sellier here in 2021, but who has never won the World Cup leg on the Sunday for the moment; France’s Julien Epaillard (FRA), World number 2 and the individual bronze medallist at the most recent European Championships, who last year won absolutely everything in Lyon: the Longines Grand Prix on the Friday, the Equita Masters presented by Hermès Sellier on the Saturday, and the World Cup leg on the Sunday (an exceptional occurrence!) Great Britain’s Ben Maher (GBR), World number 3 and the reigning two legs of the Longines FEI World Cup 2023-2024 circuit, Lorraine’s Simon Delestre (FRA), the other French rider in the World top 10, who was in fine form in Oslo to kick off the winter season, Austria’s Max Kuhner (AUT), World number 9, Olivier Perreau (FRA) from Loire, a GL events Group partner rider , eighth at the most recent European Championships who had the best French performance at the Longines FEI Nations Cup Final, and Brazil’s Yuri Mansur (BRA), in tenth place currently in the Longines FEI World Cup Rankings after the first two legs. As for lady riders, who are currently poorly represented in the World top 50, they will nevertheless be able to count on two choice ambassadors: America’s Jessica Springsteen (USA), the Olympic team gold medallist, and the rider from Bresse, Mégane Moissonnier, who will feel right at home in Lyon!

With the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games just a few months away, Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International is already an essential leg for French riding. Sophie Dubourg, the National Technical Director of the French Equestrian Federation explains: ‘We are fortunate to have a large quota of French riders as the host nation of the competition, but also and above all, to work very closely with the teams of Sylvie Robert and GL events Equestrian Sport, who always give prominence to French show jumping and dressage riders. […] All the riders and owners really wanted to take part in Longines Equita Lyon, and we’re naturally taking advantage of this occasion which is an unmissable opportunity to exchange with them to plan for the coming season. During Longines Equita Lyon, we will be focusing on drawing up individual programmes and discussing them with each rider.

Lyon is an essential leg, which will also enable us to draw up the ‘A cheval pour Paris’ lists (comprising horse and rider combinations which have been pre-selected with a view to the Olympics, editor’s note), which will be reviewed the day after Equita. We’re naturally taking advantage of the Lyon show which will allow less seasoned riders to gain more experience. […] Despite the Olympic period, we’re still thinking about the pool of promising riders and this group 2 that we need to develop for the ‘post-Games’ period. So, as well as the crack French riders mentioned above, spectators in Lyon will be able to cheer on other riders in the running to be selected for the Olympics, such as Roger-Yves Bost (FRA) from the Ile-de- France region and Normandy’s Kevin Staut (FRA) and Pénélope Leprévost (FRA), who won the gold medal with the French team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Edward Levy, the reigning French champion, will also be taking part! As will Rhône Alpes’ riders Nicolas Deseuzes (FRA), Antoine Ermann (FRA), Sadri Fegaier (FRA) and Julien Gonin (FRA).

Source: Press Release from Longines Equita Lyon

Photos: © Longines Equita Lyon / PSV Photo / Jean Morel

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