Craft each course with care, run the arena with diligence

Every obstacle in the Bird's Nest arena stems from meticulous calculation of technical dimensions, competition rhythm and arena conditions. The arena that bears every takeoff and landing is likewise finely tuned for hardness, moisture and elasticity. The 13th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters brings together a team of course designers and arena advisors with world-class event experience, polishing course design and arena construction in tandem with an international perspective and rigorous technical standards, crafting with ingenuity a top-tier equestrian arena that combines fairness, challenge and spectacle.

01 Isabel Rothenberger

Course Designer |Isabel Rothenberger| Germany

A 3-star FEI Jumping course designer, she is the daughter of world-renowned Olympic-level course designer Frank Rothenberger. Early in her career she competed as a show jumper before turning to course design, accumulating extensive hands-on experience at both German domestic and international events. In 2026, she served as a course design assistant at the FEI World Equestrian Championships in Aachen, once again joining hands with her father to contribute to the course of this world's premier equestrian event. At the same time, she serves as CEO of IsiTrade GmbH, the Rothenberger family's equestrian obstacle design and manufacturing company, transforming hands-on competition experience into event hardware capabilities that serve equestrian events around the world, serving equestrian events around the world.

Key Career Highlights

• Assistant Course Designer of the 2018 Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

• In 2026, served as a course design assistant at the FEI World Equestrian Championships in Aachen, while also participating in course work for five-star events such as the CHIO Aachen.

• Active year-round at CSI2 and CSI5* international events across multiple European countries, with dual experience in course design and obstacle product development.

02 Frank Rothenberger

Assistant Course Designer |Frank Rothenberger| Germany

A 4-star FEI Jumping course designer. With superb course design skills and deep event experience, he has created professional competition courses for numerous five-star events worldwide. He has participated in six Olympic Games as technical delegate, assistant course designer and in other roles, and his course design record is extensive, covering World Championships, European Championships, World Cup Finals and more than a hundred Nations Cup events.

Key Career Highlights

• Course Designer of the 2006 FEI Jumping World Championships in Aachen

• Participated in six Olympic Games as technical delegate, assistant course designer and in other roles

• Course design experience covers more than a hundred Nations Cup events, seven European Championships and six World Cup Finals

• Long-serving Course Designer of the CHIO Aachen

• Long-serving Course Designer of the Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

03 Ralf Hollenbach

Assistant Course Designer |Ralf Hollenbach| Germany

A 3-star FEI Jumping course designer. He has repeatedly served as assistant course designer for the Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters, has long served as course designer for the Bird's Nest Road points series and participated in World Cup-level course design for the Stuttgart German Masters. He currently serves as Chairman of the Hesse Equestrian Committee in Germany and head of the special committee for developing reserve event technical officials of the German Judges Association.

Key Career Highlights

• Course Designer of the 2023 10th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

• Assistant Course Designer of the 2024 11th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

• Course design for the 2025 12th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

• Long-serving Course Designer for the Bird's Nest Road points series

• Long-serving Assistant Course Designer for the CHIO Aachen

04 Oliver Hoberg

Arena Advisor |Oliver Hoberg| Germany

An FEI-certified equestrian arena expert who has long provided arena technical services for top international events. Since the 1990s, he has participated in arena support work for numerous world-class competitions; during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he provided technical support for competition and training arenas as an FEI arena expert. In addition, he has repeatedly served as arena advisor for the Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters.

Key Career Highlights

• Arena technical work for the equestrian competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

• Arena expert at the 2011 FEI World Cup Finals in Leipzig

• Arena technical work for the equestrian competition at the 2012 London Olympic Games

• FEI arena expert for the equestrian competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games

• Arena Advisor of the 2024 11th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

• Arena Advisor of the 2025 12th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters

Ingenuity is embodied not only in the ingenious layout of every obstacle and the scientific planning of every course, but also throughout the overall consideration of competition rhythm, arena performance, horse welfare and safety conditions. All of this is done solely so that horse-and-rider combinations can gallop freely on a fair and safe stage.

From October 15 to 18, 2026, the course designers and arena advisors will take up residence together at the National Stadium (Bird's Nest), providing rigorous and meticulous technical support to build a fair, safe and highly spectacular competitive stage for the 13th Longines Beijing International Equestrian Masters.