For yet another year, Massimo Dutti will sponsor the Madrid In Motion team for the Global Champions League circuit, visiting many countries in Europe, Asia and North and South America.
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 is 16 with 6 jockeys, 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, Michael G. Duffy, Mark Mcauley, Eduardo Álvarez Aznar and Cindy van der Straten.
The circuit, which began in the city of Doha, the first headquarter of the 2019 circuit, continued in Mexico, Miami, Shanghai, Madrid, Hamburg, Cannes, Stockholm, Cascais, Monaco, Paris, Chantilly, Berlin, London and Valkenswaard, and will continue from September in Rome, Ramatuelle and New York.
In each and every event, all equestrian sports fans can enjoy a dazzling display of high-level sport and top-class entertainment.
ERIC VAN DER VLEUTEN
Eric has had a long, successful career in jumping and has worked as a trainer for the show jumping teams of Spain and Norway.
MADRID IN MOTION / Eric Van Der Vleuten
MADRID IN MOTION / Eric Van Der Vleuten
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. Eric is the team manager who brought the Madrid in Motion team to victory at the 2018 playoffs. He was also selected with the Dutch team to compete at the Falsterbo Nations Cup (July 2019).
Maikel Van Der Vleuten
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.
MADRID IN MOTION / Maikel Van Der Vleuten
MADRID IN MOTION / Maikel Van Der Vleuten
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. This year, Maikel won the Monaco GP and was classified for the Super Grand Prix in Prague. He also won the CSI Twente Grand Prix, which Eric won 10 years ago in 2009. Yesterday, he announced that he had been selected, together with Dana Blue, to form part of the Dutch team that will compete in Rotterdam in August during the European Championship. Current #16 on the Longines FEI Ranking.
Eduardo Alvarez Aznar
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.
MADRID IN MOTION / Eduardo Alvarez Aznar
MADRID IN MOTION / Eduardo Alvarez Aznar
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”. Together with Mark Mcauley, Madrid in Motion came in second place in Stockholm. Current #35 on the Longines FEI Ranking.
Michael G. Duffy
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.
MADRID IN MOTION / Michael G. Duffy
MADRID IN MOTION / Michael G. Duffy
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. One notable achievement was winning the gold medal for teams at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014. He is the sub-25 rider on the team.
Mark Mcauley
Irish jockey living in Switzerland. First year as a member of Madrid in Motion. He started horse riding as a young boy in Dublin.
MADRID IN MOTION / Mark Mcauley
MADRID IN MOTION / Mark Mcauley
He comes from a family with great equestrian tradition: his father was a show jumper and his mother did endurance events. Notable results: Bronze team medal in the European Championship in Ponis, 2003. Represented Ireland at the European Championship for Young Riders in 2004. In 2017, he formed part of the Irish team for the European Championship in Gothenburg.
In 2018, he classified for the first time to participate in the World Cup final in Paris.
Cindy Van Der Straten
Horse rider from Belgium. This is her first year as a member of Madrid in Motion, although it is the third season that she competes in the Global Champions League, as she formed part of the Berlin Lions in 2017 and the Hamburg Giants in 2018.
MADRID IN MOTION / Cindy Van Der Straten
MADRID IN MOTION / Cindy Van Der Straten
She formed part of the Belgium team for the European Championship for Young Riders. She has also formed part of the national team in various nations cups.
