Longines becomes Official Partner for FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 finale

The FEI’s Top Partner Longines has announced its official partnership for the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 at the Military Boekelo-Enschede (NED), one of the largest outdoor sporting events in the Netherlands, on 9-12 October.

The 44^th edition of Military Boekelo-Enschede will feature the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing final decider between 10 nations.

The stellar line-up includes Sandra Auffarth (GER), recently crowned team and individual world champion at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy and team gold and individual bronze medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She will be joined by London 2012 teammates Dirk Schrade and Peter Thomsen. The Germans currently have a 10-point lead in the series over closest rivals, Great Britain.

The British are also fielding a strong line-up with London 2012 Olympic Games team silver medallists Nicola Wilson and Kristina Cook, and Oliver Townend who is currently fourth in the FEI World Eventing Rankings. France, now lying third in the series just four points behind Great Britain, is also taking a strong team to Boekelo. Jean-Lou Bigot, former European champion and multiple medallist is listed with Olympian Didier Dhennin, and Thomas Carlile, winner of the World Breeding Championships 2013.  

Also sending teams to the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing finale are Australia led by Sam Griffiths, winner of this year’s Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA.  

Over 60,000 spectators are expected at the four-day Military Boekelo-Enschede, with the largest crowds on Saturday 11 October when horses and riders will tackle the six-kilometre Cross Country course designed by Sue Benson (GBR), who was responsible for the spectacular London 2012 course in Greenwich Park.

“We are really proud to support the FEI Nations Cup^TM Eventing finale as the Official Partner, and to provide our timekeeping expertise to a discipline which requires the horses to be extremely versatile and the riders to have exceptional skills,” explained Longines Vice President and International Marketing Director Juan-Carlos Capelli. “Longines is looking forward to this exciting competition in Boekelo, which perfectly illustrates the core values of our brand, namely tradition, performance and precision.”

Longines’ partnership with FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 reinforces Longines’ commitment to equestrian sports. As the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the FEI, the Swiss watchmaker’s partnership covers a number of major rights packages, including the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping, the FEI World Rider Rankings for Jumping - now the Longines Rankings – and official timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping and FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018 and 2022.

“We are delighted to have Longines supporting Eventing and recognising the tremendous potential of this Olympic discipline, one of the most popular equestrian sports amongst fans, especially on Cross Country day,” said FEI Chief of Business Development & Strategy Lisa Lazarus. “This shows once again Longines’ passion for equestrian sport and we look forward to growing this partnership in Eventing.”

Photo Caption: Newly-crowned world champion Sandra Auffarth will set out with a strong German team at this week’s FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing Final in Boekelo (NED), where Longines will be the Official Partner. (Trevor Holt/FEI).

Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Photo Catalogue.  

Notes to Editors:

About Longines

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when it produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and its mount. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1912, Longines was proud to partner with its first Jumping event, the Grande Concurso Hippico Internacional, in Portugal. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 140 countries.

About FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing

The FEI’s team Eventing series, the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing, is open to all nations fielding one team of three or four riders at each leg. Visit the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing series hub here for rules, results and Organiser details and view the current series standings here.