As the Stephex motto goes: ‘no fence is high enough’. That’s true for Stephan Conter, the CEO and Founder of the Stephex Group. The Stephex Events reflect his innovative character year after year. Last year his team kicked off the first Nations Cup showjumping spectacle hosted in Belgium in over eight years. This year the Stephex Events team kept the ball rolling.
Nine countries competed under the lights. “A Nations Cup provides the audience and competitors with a unique thrill. The riders are not competing for themselves anymore but for their country. The audience can relate to the competition uniquely; they become patriotic and feel connected to the teams through their shared nationality. Even if you have no experience in showjumping, when your country is represented in the ring, each stride the horse takes is exhilarating. You get very quickly invested in the show.”, shares Stephan Conter. This year Argentina, Mexico, Sweden, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Great-Brittain and the Netherlands competed for victory.
“I love hosting big spectacles and seeing people enjoy themselves. A Nations Cup is an important way to bring a new dimension to the show. This was the first time we hosted a Nations Cup at the Brussels Stephex Masters. In previous years we’ve put great emphasis on the evening shows. Competing under the lights is magnificent. Combining this with a Nations Cup on our big grass arena is something you really want to experience!”, Stephan continues. He also stresses the Stephex Events team and the partners of the Brussels Stephex Masters. Henders and Hazel are the main partner of the Nations Cup and have been a valuable partner for Stephex Events for years. Their insight and active contribution to the success of the show is vital. “Their collective vision with the Stephex Events team brings a Nations Cup like never seen before, and we definitely achieved that.”
