*By Jacqueline Corba* The world's top equestrians gathered in New York over the weekend for the inaugural Riders Masters Cup, a team competition featuring five riders representing the United States and five riders from Europe. "To do it here was a dream come true," said Georgina Bloomberg, a professional equestrian on Team USA. "Anytime you can do a competition in our home city ー it's really amazing for us." Bloomberg, 35, was born in New York and is the younger daughter of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The hometown advantage didn't ultimately help the Americans, who lost 8-7. Unlike other events in the three-city, international Longines Masters series, the Rider Cup is a team competition . Bloomberg said the final result was disappointing, but she said the national team format of the competition helps make equestrian more accessible to spectators, and can help grow the sport's appeal. "You see great access to riders there," said Bloomberg. "You won't see better competition than the masters." The four-day Longines Masters of New York event took place at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, about 30 miles from Manhattan. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/georgina-bloomberg-on-equestrian-as-a-spectator-sport).
