| Friday, 18th of September 2026 |
 Longines Beijing Masters – Promo |
| [Beijing, 16 September 2026] The press conference for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters was held at Rosewood Beijing. The event’s annual theme, “A LEAP FOR THE MOMENT,” was officially unveiled, alongside details of qualification for the Road to the Bird’s Nest and the international rider line-up. Two groups of rider representatives were also invited to share their stories of growth, while the event’s new key visual and medals made their debuts in succession. |
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| Figure 1: The press conference for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters officially gets under way (from left: Mr. Nan Liu, Secretary General of Beijing Turf & Equestrian Association; Mr. Xiaoqiang Li, Deputy Director of Beijing Sports Competitions Administration and International Exchange Center; Ms.Jiling Han, Secretary General of the Chinese Equestrian Association; Ms. Scarlett Ma, Marketing Director of Longines China; Ms. Jing Li, Dashing Equestrian; Mr. Yong Geng, Vice President of Hebei Equestrian Sports Association) Since arriving at the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) in 2011, Longines Beijing Masters has continued to bring together outstanding equestrian talent from China and around the world, providing Chinese riders with an important platform for high-level international competition and exchange. Against the backdrop of China’s drive to become a leading sporting nation and the opening of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the 13th edition continues to place professional event delivery and international exchange at its core. After more than a decade of dedicated cultivation, it is ready to leap into a new season. |
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| Figure 2: The press conference for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters With 2026 marking the Year of the Horse, the event adopts “A LEAP FOR THE MOMENT” as its annual theme. “A leap” captures the split-second on course when horse and rider move as one to clear an obstacle, as well as the natural arrival that follows years of discipline and refinement. “For the moment” speaks to seizing the opportunity and rising towards one’s ideal at the moment that belongs to you – the perfect expression of the Year of the Horse. At the press conference, Ms. Jiling Han, Secretary General of the Chinese Equestrian Association; Scarlett Ma, Marketing Director of Longines China; Mr. Xiaoqiang Li, Deputy Director of Beijing Sports Competitions Administration and International Exchange Center; and Ms. Jing Li, Dashing Equestrian. Jiling shared her views on the development of equestrian sport in China and the value of high-level event platforms. Scarlett outlined Longines’ vision of accompanying equestrian sport over the long term. Jing congratulated the event and expressed the hope that it would continue to amplify its platform effect and inject fresh energy into the capital’s sporting development. Drawing on the Masters’ 13 editions of accumulated experience and its long-term development plan, Jing thanked all partners for their steadfast support and welcomed guests to witness the opening of the new edition. Nan Liu, Secretary General of Beijing Turf & Equestrian Association, and Mr. Yong Geng, Vice President of Hebei Equestrian Sports Association also attended the press conference in-person and took the stage for the launch ceremony. |
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| Figure 3: Ms.Jiling Han, Secretary General of the Chinese Equestrian Association |
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| Figure 4: Ms. Scarlett Ma, Marketing Director of Longines China |
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| Figure 5: Mr. Xiaoqiang Li, Deputy Director of Beijing Sports Competitions Administration and International Exchange Center |
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| Figure 6: Ms. Jing Li, Dashing Equestrian The qualification details for the 2026 Road to Bird’s Nest were then officially announced. This year’s 2026 Road to Bird’s Nest attracted nearly 4,600 horse-and-rider combinations, with 377 qualifying places ultimately awarded. The qualifying riders emerged from the four regional divisions – Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, Southwest China and the Greater Bay Area – as well as the Repechage, and will head to the Bird’s Nest in October. Behind every place is a story of day-after-day training, perseverance and breakthroughs. |
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| Figure 7: Qualification details for the 2026 Road to Bird’s Nest announced The press conference also featured two groups of Road to Bird’s Nest rider representatives, who shared moving stories about their deep bonds with equestrian sport under the themes “Side by Side” and “Dreams Come True.” “A Leap Side by Side” was presented by sisters Weng Jinghan and Weng Jingqi, with Weng Jinghan having earned the highest total prize money in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei division and the Repechage stage of the Road to Bird’s Nest. The sisters, connected by blood and united in competition, recounted their journey together in the arena and the moments of companionship and growth they have shared. “A Leap to Make a Dream Come True” featured young riders Li Jiatong and Zhou Weiheng, who have both qualified after successfully navigating the Repechage for two consecutive years. Looking back on a challenging qualification journey, they shared the authentic emotions behind their pursuit of dreams as young riders. |
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| Figure 8: Rider representatives interact with guests (Nie Xiaofeng, Brand Director of CAVALLERIA TOSCANA, presents gifts to the riders) If the Road to Bird’s Nest qualifying riders bring together outstanding talent from across China, the unveiling of the international line-up brings the venue into step with the rest of the world once again. This year’s Masters will welcome 13 top riders from seven countries to the Bird’s Nest. The field includes stars who have long stood at the pinnacle of the sport – Olympic gold medallists, World Cup champions and World Championship winners – as well as a new generation that has repeatedly excelled at Europe’s leading five-star shows. A Longines Ambassador of Elegance will also make an appearance in the arena. Together with China’s riders, they will compete at this place of glory and stage a high-level dialogue between the equestrian traditions of East and West. |
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| Figure 9: International rider line-up for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters Every edition of the Masters leaves its own visual signature. At the press conference, the new key visual for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters was unveiled. Inspired by the everyday world of equestrian sport, it brings together saddles, tack and the objects that fill the arena and accompany riders and horses day after day, constructing the visual language of this year’s event. In this way, “A LEAP FOR THE MOMENT” is distilled from the daily rhythm of horse and rider moving forward together. |
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| Figure 10: The key visual for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters unveiled The event medals were also unveiled to the public at the press conference – the first time the Masters has presented its medals at a press event. Designed to be detachable, the medal allows riders to remove one of its components and give it to the person who matters most in their lives: a coach who has been by their side day and night, a team-mate who has fought alongside them, or a family member who has supported them quietly. Victory is never a journey taken alone. The detachable design is intended to share the joy and honour of achievement with everyone who contributed behind the scenes, paying tribute to the quiet dedication and companionship behind every moment of glory. |
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| Figure 11: The event medals for the 13th Longines Beijing Masters unveiled The launch ceremony brought the press conference to its finale. Ms.Jiling Han, Secretary General of the Chinese Equestrian Association; Ms. Scarlett Ma, Marketing Director of Longines China; Mr. Xiaoqiang Li, Deputy Director of Beijing Sports Competitions Administration and International Exchange Center; Ms. Jing Li, Dashing Equestrian; Mr. Nan Liu, Secretary General of Beijing Turf & Equestrian Association; and Mr. Yong Geng, Vice President of Hebei Equestrian Sports Association, took to the stage together. As the launch installation lit up, the complete new key visual appeared on the big screen, echoing the annual theme, “A LEAP FOR THE MOMENT,” and jointly marking the official launch of the 13th Longines Beijing Masters. From 15 to 18 October, the world’s best riders and China’s leading riders will return to the Bird’s Nest. Together, they will witness the defining leap of 2026. |