December 2, 2017 
It’s a battle that’s been 100 years in the making.
A war waged in fields, stadiums and the hearts of show jumping fans the world over.
One where Nations Cups, World Cups, Olympic medals and World Championships decide which continent can claim dominance in a sport steeped in military tradition.
The culmination of—well, you get the picture. It’s dramatic.
Today, the battle between Europe and America comes to a literal head in the Riders Masters Cup at the Longines Masters Paris.
The first team event of its kind, the Riders Masters Cup pits five top American riders and horses against five of Europe’s best in a two round speed challenge.
The first round is a Table A speed that will see the following combinations go head-to-head:
- Devin Ryan (USA) and Kevin Staut (FRA)
- Chloe Reid (USA) and Maikel van der Vleuten (NED)
- Laura Kraut (USA) and Grégory Wathelet (BEL)
- Reed Kessler (USA) and Jos Verlooy (BEL)
- Lauren Hough (USA) and Lorenzo de Luca (ITL)
In the second round, a Table C where in faults are converted to time (three seconds are added for every rail down), the order is determined by the teams chefs. Robert Ridland leads the charge for Team USA and Philippe Gerdat, for Team Europe.
Judging by Reid and Staut’s social media throw downs, team tensions are already running pret-ty high…
(Skip to the 37 second mark for Staut’s history lesson in English.)
Who will claim bragging rights in Paris? Which team will be stuck buying the drinks tonight?
Tune into EEM.tv today at 2:45pm ET and watch history unfold! #WaveYourFlag
Then check back in April for part II. The second leg of the Riders Masters Cup takes place on American soil, Saturday, April 28, at the Longines Masters New York.
