Recognise anyone? Photo: Sportfot/Gucci Paris Masters
From November 30th to December 2nd 2012, the Gucci Paris Masters is at the Paris Horse Show at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, for yet another sumptuous festival of top-class show jumping.
Each year equestrian fans at the Gucci Paris Masters can look forward to seeing 30 of the best riders on the planet performing at the very pinnacle of their sport, in an ambiance sprinkled with stardust and glamour for three days of competition.
Much of that glamour will be provided by the girls of the Gucci Paris Masters, who include illustrious names such as the Australian champion Edwina Tops-Alexander and Monaco's lovely Charlotte Casiraghi, thus resulting in a stunning combination of sporting prowess, beauty and grace. The two GUCCI ambassadresses, friends both inside and outside the competitive arena, never miss a chance to team up when it comes to scouting courses or taking part in the Style & Competition charity event, in aid of AMADE, the World Association of Children's Friends.
Charlotte Casiraghi is the initiator of the Style & Competition for AMADE. The event, one of the highlights of the meeting, sees sportsmen and women and their horses come together in a noble cause.
Twelve teams, each comprising one rider from the CSI 5* class and one from the CSI 1*, with each pair sponsored by a different company, battle it out against the clock on a specially designed course. Horses and riders play along and compete in costume, to music, on a chosen theme. The jury, made up of three personalities, assesses the teams and votes for the one which produces the best combination of sporting and sartorial elegance. Each team's score is also taken into account.
In 2011, the Gucci Team, which included Charlotte Casiraghi and Australia's Edwina Tops-Alexander, won the event in style with a disco-inspired performance thrilling both jury and spectators. But most importantly, the exhibition-competition raised funds for the World Association of Children's Friends, also known as AMADE, a charity whose President is H.R.H. Princess Caroline of Hanover.
AMADE, which was originally created to promote and protect the rights of the world's most vulnerable children, has been able to continue its work in Burundi to ensure better access to healthcare and education. Every year, AMADE helps more than 15,000 Burundian children, in a country where more than 800,000 children are living in extreme poverty.
TV coverage: Equidia, Saturday, December 1st at 8.15 pm
