Arcadia, Calif.-- HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, will continue to expand its equestrian offerings when it presents live coverage of the upcoming $1 million Longines Los Angeles Masters on both HRTV and its expansive online portal, www.HRTV.com, from Sept. 25-28.
The Longines Los Angeles Masters is the third event on the world stage for the prestigious show jumping series, which also includes the Gucci Paris Masters each December and the Longines Hong Kong Masters every February.
HRTV's coverage of the Longines Los Angeles Masters will commence on Friday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 p.m. PT, when both the network and HRTV.com will air "The Longines Speed Challenge." This marks the first-ever live equestrian event to air on HRTV.
The following day, Saturday, Sept. 27, HRTV.com will provide coverage of the Pro Am Style and Competition for Charity at 6:50 p.m. PT, which headlines a competition between equestrian stars and celebrities. Later that day, at 9:30 p.m. PT, both HRTV and its online outlet will show the "Battle of the Nations."
The network's culminating coverage of the prestigious Longines Los Angeles Masters comes on Sunday, Sept. 28 when HRTV.com presents live streaming of the $475,000 Longines Grand Prix at 1:25 p.m. PT.
"We are proud to present live coverage of this prestigious show jumping event and further our commitment to bringing world-class equestrian programming to our viewers," said Scott Daruty, President of HRTV. "It's gratifying that HRTV and HRTV.com, our online platform, are providers for this international series' debut in the U.S."
The premier show jumping event is being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and marks the first time since the 1984 Summer Olympics that an event of this magnitude has been contested in the U.S. Recognized by the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) and the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) as a CSI 5* competition, the event will attract the best riders and horses in the world, and is expected to welcome up to 30,000 visitors.
Team USA's roster includes 2014 World Equestrian Game Bronze Medal winners: Kent Farrington, Lucy Davis, and Beezie Madden, who also won individual Bronze. They will be joined by Olympic champions, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward. Reed Kessler, the world's youngest Olympic show jumping competitor, will be part of a strong U.S. team that also includes Richard Spooner, Lauren Hough, Georgina Bloomberg, and others, for the "Battle of the Nations" competition.
European riders include Patrice Delaveau, the 2014 World Equestrian Game Silver medalist, and star of the inaugural edition of the Longines Hong Kong Masters, where he annexed four out of six competitions. He will be joined by World Equestrian Games teammate, France's Kevin Staut and Simon Delestre. A star-studded European contingent will also include: Rodrigo Pessoa, Steve Guerdat, Scott Brash, current leader in the Longines standings.
In all, the competitors possess flashy, world-class resumes. In total, seven Olympic Champions, 13 Olympic medalists, three World Cup final winners, two world champions, and the current European champion, will be in Los Angeles to compete.
About HRTV
HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, is a television-based multimedia network dedicated to equine sports. HRTV’s programming features horseracing from top U.S. and international racetracks, as well as a wide range of world-class English and Western horse competitions, news, original programming and award-winning documentaries covering the world of horse sports. The live stream of HRTV is available on a subscription basis to high-speed Internet users worldwide at www.hrtv.com. In the U.S., the HRTV television network is available via telco, cable and satellite in over 19 million homes.