New York’s McLain Ward and Clinta emerged as champions of the Longines Masters of New York’s main event, the Longines Grand Prix, on April 29, after an exciting four days at the Longines Masters of New York’s debut at the Nassau Coliseum. After the first round of the weekend’s main event, 14 out of the 30 elite-level riders moved on to the second round, the jump-off. The winning duo dominated the final class of the Longines Masters Series, as McLain posted an impressive time of 34.92 seconds and were closely followed by Peder Fredricson and Erynn Ballard. The highlight of the four-day competition, the Longines Grand Prix, is presented by Longines, Title Partner and Official Timekeeper of the Longines Masters Series in Paris, Hong Kong, and New York.
“It’s always nice to win on your home soil in the U.S. and extra special in New York,” said Ward, following his victory. “I can remember years ago when I was a young kid, I won a grand prix at the [Madison Square] Garden and that was very special because it was the home state and the home city. It was very special today here.”
The American Grand Slam had prize money of $382,800. With this historic win, Ward is now the new contender for the Grand Slam Bonus of $1 million if he wins the Longines Grand Prix in Paris and Hong Kong in Season IV. Earlier in the final day of competition, Serena Marron won the Masters Three Devialet Grand Prix 1.15m, and following four days of intense competition in the Masters Three division, Summer Paulos (USA) captured the Leading Riding Title with three podium finishes, including two victories. The Masters Two Sam Edelman Grand Prix 1.45m was nail-bitingly close, as Madison Goetzmann bested Mario Deslauriers by a meager 0.15 seconds to win.
Over the course of four days, fans welcomed the international competition’s arrival to a new city. Between jaw-dropping show jumping, curated high-end shopping, memorable after parties, larger than life pieces of art, and unprecedented access to the best riders and horses in the world, show jumping enthusiasts gathered at NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum to be a part of the American Grand Slam and grand finale of the historic Season III of the Longines Masters Series. With the close of the 2018 Longines Masters of New York, the event and its participants now turn their sights to Season IV and the series kick-off in Paris.
Save the dates for Longines’ Season IV: Paris, Nov. 29 through Dec. 2, 2018; Hong Kong, Feb. 15 through 17, 2019; and New York, April 25 through 28, 2019.
The Riders Masters Cup Second Season will be back with the second transatlantic duel taking place in Paris on Dec. 1, 2018, and returning to New York April 27, 2019.
“On behalf of the entire team at EEM and the Longines Masters Series, we want to thank the riders, our partners, our exhibitors, and most importantly, our fans, for making Season III a successful and historic event,” said Christophe Ameeuw, CEO of EEM and founder of the Longines Masters Series. “The past four days have exhibited the world’s top athletes and showcased some of the best performances in show jumping history. Bringing the Longines Masters Series to New York has always been a dream and we’re thrilled to have received such a warm welcome. We look forward to continuing this legacy for years to come.”
