Ride On Time

In its patronage of two of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events—one in Britain, the other in the US—Rolex continues a six-decade tradition of supporting competitive riding, writes Christian Barker

- Christian Barker

Since 1957, when the Swiss watchmaker forged an alliance with British showjumper Pat Smythe, Rolex has been closely aligned with equestrianism.

Today, the brand counts among its testimonees numerous leading competitive riders, including Kent Farrington, Scott Brash, Eric Lamaze, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Bertram Allen and Zara Tindall. Additionally, Rolex is the headline sponsor of a number of the most prestigious equestrian events, not least the Royal Windsor Horse Show in London and the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in New York.

The watchmaker feels its values of elegance, precision and testing the very limits of performance are wonderfully reflected by events such as these, which attract the best riders on earth. One such outstanding equestrian, leading showjumper Kent Farrington, describes the Royal Windsor Horse Show as “five days of top-flight competition, set against the backdrop of historic Windsor Castle,” boasting “worldclass showjumping, dressage, carriage driving and endurance riding competitions.”