San Patrignano´s CSI-5* “Vincenzo Muccioli Challenge” is the first Italian event to be named best outdoor horse show of the year. Since 1987 the “Année Hippique Award for Best Event ” has been an honour reserved for show jumping competitions with the highest level of technical excellence and entertainment value. The prize was awarded by a jury today (November 25, 2025) on occasion of the Maastricht CSI-4*.
The “Oscar” for best show is awarded by BCM Holland, publisher of some of the world’s most authoritative publications related to equitation, such as “Höesflag” and “L’Anneé Hippique” – the horse lovers’bible which recounts each year’s most significant happenings in equestrian sports.
The jury selects the winner from the top competitions on each continent. The winner is chosen on the basis of quality of footing (in the arena and warm up areas), stabling, organization and catering, as well as amount of prize money and overall ambiance.
The Community, founded in 1978 by Vincenzo Muccioli, was selected by the executive committee of the International Jumping Riders´Club, made up of some of the world’s most important riders, including Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts and American Peter Wylde.
San Patrignano has earned its rightful place alongside such shows as Aachen´s CHIO, considered the “Wimbledon” of the horse world and Spruce Meadows in Canada, the show which offers the largest amount of prize money of any show in the world.
“This prize honours the extraordinary level of commitment and hard work of the 1800 young men and women of the Community. I wish to thank BCM and the riders for their recognition of our dedication to social issues and of the humanitarian value of the event”, said Giacomo Muccioli, President of the San Patrignano CSI, after learning of the award. “We would like to share this moment with all those who have helped and supported us through the years: volunteers, sponsors, federations. And most of all with our two good friends Eleonora Ottaviani and Emile Hendrix”.
“Eleven years ago, when we organized the first CSI, no one in the Community had experience in this field”, remembers Eleonora Ottaviani, long time Show Director and friend. “We have grown and improved year after year. In 2005 we hosted the European Jumping Championship, and this year we received this prize from Année Hippique – another important milestone. This is what we set out to do with Giacomo and Andrea in 1997: the horse show serves to let people get to know the Community and gives the young people here a chance to show the world that it is possible to leave addiction behind.”
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