The champagne is flowing and the music is pumping on a balmy Friday night at the Brussels Stephex Masters when a giant crane lifts three bird cages into the arena.Suspended 50 meters above the vast grassy arena, aerial acrobats of the internationally renowned Theater Tol perform a 10-minute show full of music, dreamlike sequences and dance. Under a bright full moon, a huge fireworks display brings day three of Belgium’s premium show jumping event to a close.Earlier that evening, an auction of 10 of the world’s most promising show jumping foals, out of Stephex-owned bloodlines, drew gasps from the crowd after Lot 3, a black colt, sold for €121,000 ($140,000; £103,500).Each year, more than 50,000 spectators from over 40 countries visit the event, drawn by a mix of entertainment, luxurious hospitality and elite show jumping. While some hospitality guests pay thousands of euros for a table inside the VIP area, admission is free for anyone interested in the sport.Now in its 12th edition, the Brussels Stephex Masters is the brainchild of Stephan Conter, founder and CEO of the Stephex Group, an international group of companies specializing in luxury horse trucks, breeding and equestrian sports.Conter, standing inside the VIP area as international guests mingled and champagne corks popped, said he is keen to welcome both dedicated fans and curious newcomers by keeping the event free for the public, with the aim of growing the sport at grassroots level.“I’ve been really lucky in my life, I started as a normal horse dealer when I was young, because I had a passion for horses,” Conter said. “We have grown quite fast in our industry, and I wanted to give something back to the sport. I’m not a guy to organize something if there are only five important people attending and nobody else. I want to do it for the public, so that everybody can enjoy the sport.”Stephan Conter conceived the Brussels Stephex Masters as a way to grow the sport by attracting dedicated fans and curious newcomers alike. (Brussels Stephex Masters)Most of show jumping’s biggest champions come from modest backgrounds, according to Conter.“It’s not a sport that you can buy only with money. For sure, it’s an expensive sport. But if you work really hard, you can make it, even if you start at the bottom,” he said.