Longines Ladies Awards 2013

AsiaNet 53414

CHANTILLY, France and SAINT-IMIER, Switzerland, June 16th, PRN=KYODO JBN

The very first Longines Ladies Awards ceremony took place on Saturday evening,

on the eve of the Prix de Diane Longines, in the beautiful surroundings of the

castle of Chantilly. A jury, chaired by Simon Baker, Longines Ambassador of

Elegance and including equestrian experts, awarded prizes to Princess Zahra Aga

Khan, Athina Onassis de Miranda and Sophie Thalmann for their involvement in

the equestrian world.

To see a video of the ceremony please click here

http://youtu.be/Ix2v5e-dqmM

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130616/621670 )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130616/621670-b )

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130616/621670-c )

The very first Longines Ladies Awards ceremony took place Saturday evening, on

the eve of the Prix de Diane Longines, in the beautiful surroundings of the

castle of Chantilly. Longines presented new prestigious prizes, meant to reward

the exceptional commitment of women in the equestrian world. With this prizes,

the Swiss watch brand wishes to highlight the elegance of careers dedicated to

the equine cause.

Longines' passion for equestrian sport dates back to 1878, when it produced a

chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount. As early as 1881, the brand

was present on the racetracks; and in 1926 the brand was timekeeper of a

show-jumping event for the first time. Today Longines' involvement in

equestrian sports includes flat racing, show-jumping and endurance competitions.

An exceptional jury, chaired by Simon Baker and made up of Nathalie Belinguier,

President of the International Federation of Gentlemen and Ladies Riders,

Francesca Cumani, equestrian sports anchor on CNN, Louis Romanet, President of

the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and Ingmar De Vos,

General Secretary of the International Equestrian Federation, awarded the

Longines Ladies Awards 2013 to Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Athina Onassis de

Miranda and Sophie Thalmann.

In the presence of prestigious guests, Princess Zahra Aga Khan received an

award for her commitment to horsebreeding. Athina Onassis de Miranda received

an award for her contribution to the development of equestrian sports in Latin

America, in particular through the Athina Onassis Horse Show. Sophie Thalmann

received an award for promoting the equestrian world through arts and media.

The ceremony, which took place in the beautiful gardens of Chantilly castle,

was followed by a gala dinner inside the gallery of painting in the Chateau de

Chantilly.

As the official partner of some of the most prestigious flat races in the

world, the famous Swiss watchmaker has created a new collection, Conquest

Classic, suitable for wearing in all the excitement of the winner's enclosure

at prestigious racecourses. Set with 30 diamonds, the official watch of the

Prix de Diane Longines is a marriage of steel and rose gold and features a

white mother-of-pearl dial with diamond indices. At the same time dazzling and

elegant, this timepiece was perfectly in line with the atmosphere of the

Longines Ladies Awards night.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832. Its

watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and

performance. Longines has generations of experience as official timekeeper of

world championships and as partner of international sports federation.Known for

the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd,

the World's leading manufacturer of horological products. With the winged

hourglass as its emblem, the brand has outlets in over 130 countries.

For further information please contact:

Longines International Public Relations

2610 Saint-Imier, Switzerland

publicrelations@longines.com

http://www.longines.com

Source: Longines