FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2014 79
sport. For many riders it’s a dream to trot through that exclusive
in-gate. But who’s the mastermind behind this world-class event?
I met with Christophe Ammeuw, Founder of EEM World —
the creator and organizer of the Masters Grand Slam Indoor.
Christophe is one of the most dynamic and ambitious figures in
equestrian sport today. He shared with me his dream to bring
equestrian show jumping to the forefront of the international sport
and social scenes. His passion to develop the sport was inspiring.
It’s hard to imagine that his story began like so many other young
riders.
Christophe’s passion for horses began when he was very
young. His parents were amateur riders and rode at a stable
near his home in Belgium. As a child, he spent time at the barn
and took lessons. He began competing in the ponies, then rode
successfully as a junior and competed up to the 1.45m level. But,
as is the experience of many young riders, the cost of continuing
beyond this point was too steep. He stopped riding when he was
17 years old.
As an adult, he ran several businesses and found that he
had a real talent in sales. He began dealing a little bit in horse
sales. In 1998, Christophe turned his full attention to his passion
for horses and bought the stable near his childhood home. Les
Ecuries d’Ecaussinnes, located 25 minutes
from Brussels, is now a 120-horse five-star
equestrian resort.
It’s a full-service operation that
offers breeding, sales, training, clinics,
accommodations for horse and rider, and
service options that include arrangements
for showing and logistics of travel. “Yes
it’s a big operation and a lot of work, but
it’s very good. I stopped riding when I was
young and it was my passion. And now, my
passion is my business and my business is
my passion.”
His wife, Fernanda, manages his stables
and it’s clear that he takes great pride in
this operation. His business model is
unique in that it’s not just horse sales, but a
fully integrated set of services that caters to
the support of the horse and rider beyond
the sale itself.
“We don’t just buy and sell horses
every day there,” he said. “We brand, we
transform, we build the story, we build the couple: the rider
and
horse. When we pair good horses with good riders we like to
follow that story.”
He added, “There is no horse sales business without customer
service. The client needs to be happy. We can organize everything
for the client, all the competition and the logistics. It’s one of the
reasons we have the five star resort for horses.”
Christophe’s stables are centrally located to many high-
performance shows around Europe. For any rider coming to
show in Europe, Les Ecuries d‘Ecaussinnes is a perfect base of
operation.
The passion Christophe has for horses drives him to share the
sport with the world. The professional development of equestrian
sport is what spurred him to get into horse show management.
“I want to organize the best platform for the sport, to organize
the best opportunity for commercialization and to organize the
best show event,” he said, “— an event for a wide public, not only
equestrian connoisseurs.” So how did this high concept come
together?
When Christophe was very young there was a show jumping
event called International Jumping of Brussels. It was one of
Prestige Village at the Gucci Paris Masters
A rider enjoys a moment with his horse at
Christophe’s Les Ecuries d’Ecaussinnes
farm near Brussels.
This year, in its only North
American location, the
LA Masters will debut at
the Convention Center in
downtown Los Angeles
— right in the heart of the
entertainment area that
includes the Nokia Theater,
L.A. Live and the world
famous Staples Center.
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