Equestrian enthusiasts, athletes, and fans have just around the corner the equestrian event par excellence of the city of Barcelona: the CSIO Barcelona international show jumping competition. This sporting event is the most important on the international equestrian calendar at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona and also the international event that has been held for the longest time in Spain. The edition, the 110th in its history, will take place from September 29 to October 2, and coincides with the commemoration this year of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the equestrian entity in the city.
It will be the ninth consecutive year that Barcelona hosts the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup world final, and what better way to do it than to have a new equestrian obstacle, The Rose and the Book. Designed as a vertical jumping structure that riders and their horses must overcome, The Rose and the Book is the work of three students from the LCI Barcelona design school. Andrea Álvarez, Cecilia Barrios, and Renata Garcés have been the winners of the competition A Jump for the City, organized by the Barcelona Equestrian Challenge, in collaboration with LCI Barcelona.
This action aims to continue strengthening the existing link between the centenary sports competition of the Real Club de Polo and the city of Barcelona, while contributing to the international promotion of the Catalan capital. "From the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona Foundation, we are dedicated to promoting culture by supporting young talents from the world of design and our goal is to put Barcelona in the international spotlight," says Emilio Zegrí, president of the RCPB Foundation.
On this occasion, more than ever, since the obstacle is closely related to Catalan culture. Inspired by the Diada de Sant Jordi, the young designers wanted to represent "the power that letters have to form words, texts, and stories to connect us." To achieve this, they have based themselves on the poem Visca Sant Jordi!, by Lola Casas, and on the works of the sculptor Jaume Plensa, and thus the letters are transformed until they raise two prominent red roses, one on each side of the obstacle structure.
The official presentation of the obstacle took place this Thursday at La Pedrera. The event was attended by institutional representatives Aleix Villatoro, director of the Catalan Sports Council (Generalitat de Catalunya); David Escudé, Sports Councilor of the Barcelona City Council and Deputy Delegate for Sports of the Barcelona Provincial Council; Gabriel Arranz, director of Sports Promotion and Events of the Barcelona Sports Institute of the Barcelona City Council; Santiago Mercé, president of CSIO Barcelona; Daniel Garcia Giró, director of CSIO Barcelona, and the project authors, Andrea Álvarez, Cecilia Barrios and Renata Garcés.