IN less than two weeks, 30 of the world’s best horses and riders will take off for the Far East to compete in the third edition of the Longines Hong Kong Masters.

This five-star show jumping competition is the region’s biggest event in terms of prize money, with $700,000 on offer in the Longines Grand Prix.

But this year the Grand Prix’s stakes will be double, as it will also be the starting point of the Indoor Masters Grand Slam created by EEM World therefore giving the winner the opportunity to aim for the €1 million bonus that is at stake in three shows, each one already having a total prize money of $1 million.

This is an inter-continental trilogy as after Hong Kong, it will continue in Los Angeles in September and in Paris in December. The challenge of this Grand Slam is to claim victory in each of this three Grand Prix winning the bonus of €1 million. These victories must be consecutive and the series may start at any leg.

Two consecutive victories will be rewarded with a consolation prize of €500,000, while two non-consecutive victories in a series of three Grand Prix are rewarded with a €250,000.

The winner of the Hong Kong Longines Grand Prix on February 15th thus will be the first rider who may dream about those amounts.

The Grand Prix will be very competitive as the world’s best riders will be challenging each other: the world’s number one, Scotsman Scott Brash, number two and multiple champion, German Ludger Beerbaum, team World Champions, Dutchmen Maikel Van Der Vleuten and Gerco Schröder and the European Champion, Frenchman Roger Yves Bost, just to name a few.