As you may remember, back in May we brought word that Mercedes will be one of eight global partners this year supporting the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen. 

Yesterday, as the event entered its second day, the luxury car maker published an additional press release detailing the games and their sponsorship duties, and in addition unveiled the new Mercedes-Benz obstacle you see pictured above.  Based on an entry in a design competition held by Mercedes and the equestrian magazine ST. GEORG, the obstacle features a filigree shape and large Mercedes emblem, and will be used in the show jumping events of the games. 

According to Frank Rothenberger, chief editor of ST.GEORG and one of the individuals in charge of selecting the obstacle design:  "The design is appealing because of its filigree shape which has been worked out beautifully. Also, the obstacle ought to be difficult to jump over because of its transparency and lightness."

To learn more about the FEI World Equestrian Games as well as Mercedes' sponsorship duties, keep reading for the full press release.





OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Mercedes-Benz as Global Partner of the FEI World Equestrian Games 2006

• Dr. Dieter Zetsche to honour winners of the Mercedes-Benz prize
  
  
• Mercedes-Benz obstacle with a new design
  

Aachen/Berlin, Aug 21, 2006
Mercedes-Benz is one of eight global partners supporting the FEI World Equestrian Games 2006 in Aachen. The highlight at the equestrian world championship will be the "Mercedes-Benz Prize", which will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. CET by ZDF-TV. The prize, which is awarded for the show jumping team score at the competition held on 30th – 31st August, 2006, is the most valuable at the World Equestrian Games and is worth a total of € 273,000. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of DaimlerChrysler and Head of Mercedes Car Group, will honour the winners of the "Mercedes-Benz Prize" at the award ceremony.

Together with the equestrian sport magazine "ST.GEORG", Mercedes-Benz held a "Design Competition" which asked for creative ideas for a new design for the Mercedes-Benz obstacle at the Aachen course. More than 200 entries were evaluated by a jury of experts including the course director at the World Equestrian Games, Frank Rothenberger and the Chief Editor of ST.GEORG, Gabriele Pochhammer, as well as the successful show jumper Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. The jury was immediately impressed by the design sent in by Nadine Frodl and Christoph Henke. According to Rothenberger, "The design is appealing because of its filigree shape which has been worked out beautifully. Also, the obstacle ought to be difficult to jump over because of its transparency and lightness." The winners of the Design Competition will now be able to watch the Mercedes-Benz Prize and the world's elite show jumpers live from 30th August to 1st September. They will also be given a tour of the course with its director Rothenberger and be able to take a closer look at the Mercedes-Benz obstacle which is based on their design.

At the entrance to the tournament grounds, Mercedes-Benz will be showing its complete range of models on 1,200 sqm. From 30th August, 2006, the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter James Cook, which has already been awarded the "Caravanning design award: best practice", will be presented. The newly-designed Mercedes-Benz obstacle will also be displayed. And not only that, the most successful riders will be answering questions at the "Talk of the Day" in the interview corner.

VIP guests and participants in the tournament will be chauffeured during the whole of the World Games to the stadium and sports arenas with the Mercedes-Benz shuttle fleet of E- and M-Class cars and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. This service will be provided by the BwFuhrparkService GmbH.

The FEI World Equestrian Games are held every four years. The greatest riders in equestrian sports worldwide will be competing between 20th August and 3rd September, 2006, for titles show jumping, dressage, eventing, endurance, volting, reining and driving. The World Equestrian Games are under the patronage of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.

For many years, Mercedes-Benz has been actively supporting equestrian sports. As well as the spring meeting in Iffezheim, for more than 50 years the brand with the star has also been supporting the CHIO Aachen, the most important international tournament, as the title sponsor of the "Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup"

Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG