Madrid In Motion
For yet another year, Massimo Dutti will sponsor the Madrid In Motion team for the Global Champions League circuit, visiting many countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia.
The Longines Global Champions Tour circuit is an internationally recognised event taking place in different cities around the world, with high-level show jumping riders and horses participating. All of them compete to win the championship title at the end of the tour. This year the number of participating teams has grown to 19, with Massimo Dutti once again sponsoring the Madrid In Motion team made up of renowned riders Maikel van der Vleuten, his father Eric van der Vleuten, Marc Houtzager, Eduardo Álvarez Aznar and Michael G. Duffy.
The circuit that began in Mexico City, the first venue of the 2018 circuit in April and the only stop in Latin America, then followed by Miami, will continue in some of the most emblematic cities in the world such as Shanghai, Madrid, Hamburg, St. Tropez, Cannes, Cascais, Monaco, Paris, Chantilly, Berlin, London, Valkenswaard, Rome, Doha and Prague. In each and every event, all equestrian sports fans can enjoy a dazzling display of high-level sport and haute classe entertainment.
ERIC VD VLEUTEN
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Eric has had a long, successful career in jumping and has worked as a trainer for the show jumping teams of Spain and Norway. He received the 2016 Andre Heijligers Award for his individual contribution to the equestrian world. His two sons, Maikel and Eric Jr., are show jumping riders.
He owns the Van der Vleuten stables in Someren, the Netherlands, which the whole family is part of. Titles won: 1982: Gold individual medal and Silver team medal in the European Championship.
MAIKEL VD VLEUTEN
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Maikel started riding at 6 years old and was very successful from a young age, winning championship medals before moving to the adult category. Between 2011 and 2013, Maikel was part of the Dutch team in two European Championships (2011 and 2013), the 2012 Olympic Games, the 2012 World Cup Final and the 2013 Nations Cup Final. In 2015 his team won the European Championship. An Olympic silver medallist and world gold medallist, one of the most memorable moments of his career was winning the Super League Nations Cup in St. Gallen with his father Eric van der Vleuten. His sporting career is filled with highly-regarded titles such as the silver medal at the London Olympics and the gold medal at the Caen World Championship in 2014; Maikel has special memories of his win at the Super League Nations Cup in St. Gallen with his father Eric Van der Vleuten.
MARC HOUTZAGER
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On his tenth birthday, Marc started riding ponies at the stables which his parents were restoring. In 1997, Marc opened his own stables in Rouveen, the Netherlands. He competed in his first event in the 2000 Nations Cup. In 2008, Marc was part of the Dutch Olympic team, where his team finished in fourth place, and he finished seventh individually.
In 2008, Marc and his team-mates became Dutch national champions in Mierlo, the Netherlands, and he won an additional silver medal in the individual event. His most important titles include the Olympic silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
EDUARDO ÁLVAREZ AZNAR
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This 34-year-old rider from Madrid has riding in his blood. The son of 6-time Olympian Luis Álvarez Cervera, he has 9 gold, 11 silver and 3 bronze medals in Spanish Championships, is currently in second place in the national ranking and is a member of the Spanish team. He has participated in European Championships, World Championships and at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Among his most important wins is the 2017 Zurich Jumping World Cup.
The comparison with his father is obvious; Eduardo says, “Improving upon what he has achieved will be very difficult, but I will try”. His advice for riders: “The most important thing for a rider is to have clear, well-defined goals. A rider does not always set the rate of effectiveness, as it largely depends on the horse”.
MICHAEL G DUFFY
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Michael G. Duffy began competing internationally at the age of 16 at the CSI2 * level and represented Ireland for the first time in 2013 during the Hagen Junior International Jumping Competition, finishing second in the Grand Prix. That same year he competed in his first European Championship. Since 2015, Michael has been a regular on the Irish sub21 team, winning the gold medal at the 2016 Millstreet European Championship for Young Riders.
