Official Soundtrack of the Longines League of Nations™ Premieres in Abu Dhabi
Recognized as one of the most prestigious equestrian competitions in the world, the Longines League of Nations™, a new format replacing the century-old FEI Jumping Nations Cup, features an official soundtrack composed by Rui Ribeiro.
The Longines League of Nations™ kicked off on February 11 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This innovative series reimagines the historic FEI Jumping Nations Cup™, which dates back to 1909. In this unique global format, the top ten national teams from around the world will compete in four qualifying events, culminating in the Grand Final in Barcelona on October 6, where the eight best teams will vie for the Longines League of Nations™ trophy. This competition will take place annually.
In a concerted, multidisciplinary effort that included the development of a new visual identity for the competition, Rui Ribeiro was invited by the FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale) to compose the official soundtrack, which encompasses the anthem, music for international broadcast, web video content, and arena music to punctuate the competition. This project, which incorporates various sonic and musical elements, also involved collaboration with acclaimed producer Ricardo Ferreira, who was responsible for all sound design and worked alongside Rui Ribeiro in creating the arena music.
At the request of the FEI, the Official Anthem for the Longines League of Nations™ was composed for a symphony orchestra and choir, achieving a timeless quality consistent with the century-old legacy of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™. According to composer Rui Ribeiro: “When I think of equestrian jumping, ideas such as nobility, elegance, and especially the unparalleled bond between Man and Horse come to mind. I believe this music should encapsulate and harmonize these elements, while also filling it with emotional depth, elegance, and grandeur.”
Rui Ribeiro reveals how the foundational idea for the anthem’s composition came to him, explaining the correlation between the unit of time—the second—and the rhythmic patterns of horse marching: “After hours of observing jumping competitions, it became clear to me that the rhythm of the horses' steps aligns closely with the unit of time very near to a second. This connection between the second and the rhythmic cadence of the horse's steps seemed to be the most natural and, I would say, almost inevitable way to combine the precision of a Longines watch, the official sponsor of the competition, with the equestrian world.” The composer also shares that, initially, he did not have a strong connection to equestrian sports, but he developed great admiration after a period of learning and familiarization. This admiration led him to add an extra intermediate section to the anthem that was not initially requested by the FEI: “The Federation had initially mentioned a duration of 1 to 2 minutes for the anthem, in a single section of epic, dramatic, and grand character. However, I felt the need to introduce a new intermediate section that represents what moved me most emotionally about jumping—the unparalleled bond between the rider and the horse. This new section embodies all that emotion, the gradual building of trust and an unbreakable bond between the two elements that are, at heart, the protagonists of the competition. The final version of the anthem ended up lasting 5 minutes and, in my view, is a much more complete representation of the entire emotional spectrum that the Longines League of Nations™ encompasses.”
According to the composer, “the entire process of creating and developing the sound identity of the Longines League of Nations™—particularly the music composed for television broadcasts, such as opening titles, segments, and the music accompanying graphics and animations—was built upon the official anthem, and most of the melodic and rhythmic elements derive from this central composition. Additionally, all branding work for the Longines League of Nations™ is based on the fusion of historical elements, evoking over 100 years of tradition from the FEI Jumping Nations Cup, and modern components aimed at the present and future. The music heard in the competition arenas follows this same line, combining the Official Anthem, written for a traditional symphony orchestra, with modern electronic elements integrated into new derivative compositions.”
The ten nations participating in the 2024 Longines League of Nations™ are Ireland, the USA, France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, and Brazil. The competition will take place in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Team Rui Ribeiro