THREE GREATEST EQUESTRIAN EVENTS COMBINE TO CREATE €1M ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING 26 APRIL 2013 Gothenburg, Sweden PRESS RELEASE THREE GREATEST EQUESTRIAN EVENTS COMBINE TO CREATE €1M ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING Gothenburg, 26 April 2013 – Three of the world’s greatest equestrian shows – the CHIO Aachen, the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament and CHI Geneva – have joined forces to create the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping; the first global initiative to reward the outstanding rider who wins the Grand Prix at each show in succession. The winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping will be rewarded with a €1 million bonus prize. Each of the three prestigious and historic equestrian shows in the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping has a long tradition of sporting excellence. This joint creation by the three shows has been devised as a means to set the ultimate equestrian challenge; as a long-term partner to Aachen, Spruce Meadows and Geneva, Rolex quickly appreciated the significance of the Grand Slam and is honoured to become the exclusive partner. Eric Lamaze, the only rider to have won the Grand Prix at each of the three shows on the same horse, said: “There are many great events on the Show Jumping calendar, but the three Grands Prix that comprise the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping are without doubt the ones which the riders all want to win during their careers. Winning even one leg of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is an incredible and career-changing achievement; to win all three in a 12-month period would create a legend of the sport overnight.” Commenting on the title sponsorship, Arnaud Boetsch, Communication & Image Director of Rolex SA, said: “Throughout our history, Rolex has been driven by R tradition and excellence, so when the three shows approached us with the idea of the Grand Slam of Show Jumping, we quickly appreciated its global resonance and degree of difficulty, which would make it achievable by only the very best horse-and- rider partnerships. As a long-term partner of these three shows, we were delighted to add our support to create the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.” PRESS KIT I ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING PAGE 2/9 Michael Mronz, President of the Steering Committee of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping for 2013, said: “The three shows that comprise the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping not only have a natural synergy, but also a mutual respect for each other’s remarkable achievements and history. The collective desire and vision of all three shows to combine and form a pioneering concept such as the Grand Slam of Show Jumping seemed like the natural thing to do. “Due to their long-standing commitment to equestrian sport, Rolex was at the forefront of all three shows’ minds as a potential partner to the Grand Slam of Show Jumping, and we were all delighted when they accepted our invitation to develop it.” The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping will become the riders’ ultimate achievement, OFFICIAL WEBSITE setting a new standard for the sport worldwide. www.rolex.com www.rolexgrandslam.com MEDIA CONTACTS Rolex SA Virginie Chevailler [email protected] +41 22 302 26 19 Revolution Sports + Entertainment Rod Kohler [email protected] +44 7770 647 662 CHIO Aachen Niels Knippertz [email protected] +49 241 9171 180 CSIO Spruce Meadows Katie Macleod [email protected] +1 403 974 4232 CHI Geneva Corinne Druey [email protected] +41 21 312 82 22 PRESS KIT I ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING PAGE 3/9 Three historic shows united CHIO Aachen The German show can trace its history back to 1898 when local people from the Aachen region came together to form the “Laurensberger Rennverein”, its main aim to organise horse races that would bring entertainment to the people of Aachen. It was in the 1920s that the show moved to its current location, the show grounds of Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein. Since this time, CHIO Aachen has grown into an internationally recognised event with riders, horses and spectators travelling to the show from around the globe. More recently in 2005, the Aachen show grounds were completely rennovated for the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games™, which saw the capacity of the Jumping stadium increased to 40,000. The show and city itself is now very much known throughout the world as the capital of equestrian. Rolex has been a partner to the show since 1999. CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Based in Calgary, Canada, Spruce Meadows is the brainchild of the Southern family who built a Show Jumping complex at the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains in the early 1970s. It was in 1976 that the first Spruce Tournaments were held, with annual spectator attendances reaching over 50,000 by the end of the decade. Today, Spruce Meadows boasts one of the greatest outdoor equestrian venues in the world and is a true favourite with rider and horse alike. Rolex began its association with Spruce Meadows in 1989. CHI Geneva Established in 1926, the first show featured 85 riders and 158 horses; a year later in 1927 the show joined the FEI Nations Cup circuit; and in 1979 CHI Geneva became part of the FEI World Cup™ Jumping series. CHI Geneva has been chosen to host nine of the 12 IJRC Top 10 Finals to date, and has won L’Année Hippique’s award for the best indoor show five times. In 1991 the show moved to its current home, the Palexpo, which is the world’s largest indoor equestrian venue, drawing in larger crowds year on year. A decade later and the show played host to the first ever Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, which is still held at the CHI Geneva today. Rolex has been a partner to the show since 1996. PRESS KIT I ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING PAGE 4/9 The Grand Prix class at CHIO Aachen, the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament and CHI Geneva has never been won consecutively by the same rider over a 12-month period. However, three riders have won all three competitions, notably Eric Lamaze (CAN), Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) and Ludger Beerbaum (GER). Rider Aachen Spruce Meadows Geneva Eric Lamaze 2010 (Hickstead) 2011 (Hickstead) 2008 (Hickstead) 2007 (Hickstead) Rodrigo Pessoa 1994 (LP Special Envoy) 2001 (Gandini Lianos) 2004 (Baloubet du Rouet) 2000 (Gandini Lianos) 2002 (Baloubet du Rouet) 2000 (Gandini Lianos) 1993 (LP Special Envoy) Ludger Beerbaum 2003 (Goldfever III) 2002 (Goldfever III) 2007 (All Inclusive) 2002 (Goldfever III) 1999 (Champion du Lys) 1996 (Ratina Z) In the Grand Prix at the CHIO Aachen in 2000, Rodrigo Pessoa finished 10th In the Grand Prix at the CHI Geneva in 2002, Ludger Beerbaum finished joint 16th PRESS KIT I ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING PAGE 5/9 ROLEX AND EQUESTRIANISM As the crown in equestrianism for over 50 years, Rolex is proud to be a major force at play behind the sport’s finest events, riders and organizations. Whether supporting leading athletes such as Rodrigo Pessoa and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum or maintaining tradition and excellence with the historic CHIO Aachen in Germany or the newly established Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, Rolex has cultivated a privileged relationship with the elite world of equestrian sports. History The roots of Rolex’s affinity for sports and human achievement can be traced back to the pioneering origins of the company. When founder Hans Wilsdorf set up his watchmaking firm, he was influenced by the swift changes sweeping through society at the beginning of the 20th century. In an era when wristwatches were still regarded as fragile items of apparel, he was determined to create a wristwatch that would be robust, precise and reliable, adapted to ever more active lifestyles. In 1910, a Rolex wristwatch obtained the first certificate ever granted to such a watch by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. In 1926, Rolex invented the Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch in the world, thanks to a case equipped with an ingenious patented system consisting of a screw-down bezel, case back and winding crown. To prove his invention, Hans Wilsdorf equipped Mercedes Gleitze with an Oyster when she swam the English Channel a year later. The Rolex watch emerged from more than 10 hours in the water in perfect working condition, and the young Englishwoman effectively became the brand’s first Testimonee – a witness to the watch’s uncompromised performance. In 1931, Rolex invented the first wristwatch self-winding system with a free rotor, called the Perpetual rotor, the precursor of contemporary self-winding systems. With Hans Wilsdorf at the helm, Rolex continued to use the world as a real-life proving ground for the Oyster, demonstrating time and again its reliability in the most extreme conditions, on land, in the air, in the depths of the ocean or on the tallest peaks. By being associated with so many achievements, Rolex became the trusted reference for chronometric precision, robustness and reliability around the world. PRESS KIT I ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF SHOW JUMPING PAGE 6/9 Meanwhile, Rolex evolved, as did its product, in a constant pursuit of perfection. As part of this evolution, Rolex watches – made from only the highest quality materials and designed by the industry’s best – became symbols of elegance and prestige. As a result, it was only logical that Rolex support equestrianism – one of the world’s finest sporting activities – through an alliance with showjumper Pat Smythe, who became the brand’s first equestrian Testimonee in 1957.