Global Champions Tour Kicks Off in Qatar
By Paula Parisi April 2, 2012
Edwina Tops-Alexander and Itot du Chateau winning at Abu Dhabi last year. (Photo by Stefano Grasso)
Global Champions Tour, the world’s premier show jumping circuit, arrives in Doha, Qatar, April 5th – 7th for the launch of another season of high-performance international show jumping.
In this Olympics year top international riders, including GCT 2011 overall champion Edwina Tops-Alexander, will travel from all corners of the globe for this opening event, with prize money of $600,000.
Hosted by the Qatar Equestrian Federation, GCT Doha takes place in the Al Rayyan outdoor arena, with the first Grand Prix of the 2012 tour broadcast by Eurosport to a live TV audience around the world.
GCT President Jan Tops said: “We are looking forward to a great season of world class show jumping and I am delighted to see that our equestrian sport is ever more popular in the Middle East region. Qatar continues to grow as a significant sporting destination and we are pleased the opening event of our biggest season to date will be in Doha. I am personally delighted that the Qatari national riders will once again be part of GCT this year following their growing success during 2011.”
In 2012, Global Champions Tour will showcase the world’s top 30 riders, competing for ranking points, at 13 stunning international locations. The first 42 horses were scheduled to arrive March 31, followed by another 40 horses the following day. Flying from Liege, Belgium, this equine flight is one of the most unique cargo flights, able to carry 40 horses in addition to 23 grooms and including a vet.
Events attract an exceptional audience with royal patronage, the international jet set, celebrities and leading business figures in an exclusive but accessible atmosphere in some of the world’s most spectacular destinations. Among those who have graced the stands: Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Athina Onassis (who also competes), Charlotte Casiraghi, Roman Abramovich, Bruce Springsteen and 007 Sir Roger Moore.
Global Champions Tour stars, including last year’s winner in Doha, Alvaro de Miranda, will be competing for one of the richest prizes on offer in the sport with the €450,000 pot to be divided among the winner and runners up in the Grand Prix of Qatar on Saturday evening.
This year the GCT calendar includes four new locations: Wiesbaden, Lausanne, Vienna and Shanghai.
GCT has been a proud partner with Qatar since 2008 and this year event facilities for spectators will include refreshment areas, commercial stands and grandstands for watching all the sporting action. Fans can also follow the event via live streaming on the GCT website www.globalchampionstour.com.
After Doha, the Global Champions Tour moves to the Oliva Nova Beach and Golf Resort, Spain, May 4th to 6th.
For a complete schedule, click here.
The GCT circuit will feature a record total of 13 events across Europe, the Middle East and Far East.As in 2011, the 2012 GCT will once start and finish in the Arabian Gulf where enthusiasm for the sport of show jumping is quickly growing. After Doha, the Tour will travel to Monte-Carlo, Cannes, Valencia, Valkenswaard, Chantilly, Estoril and Hamburg, among other locations, then wind up in Abu Dhabi.
As Qatar no U.S. riders are participating, but they will be signing on in the months ahead. Confirmed riders for Doha are as follows:
| AUS | Edwina Tops-Alexander | BEL | Gregory Wathelet |
| BEL | Cindy van der Straten | BRA | Alvaro de Miranda |
| DEN | Emilie Martinsen | EGY | Abdel Saïd |
| SPA | Sergio Alvarez Moya | SPA | Manuel Añon |
| SPA | Paola Amilibia | FRA | Kevin Staut |
| FRA | Pénélope Leprevost | FRA | Michel Robert |
| FRA | Roger-Yvest Bost | FRA | Simon Delestre |
| FRA | Olivier Guillon | FRA | Philippe Rozier |
| GBR | Michael Whitaker | GER | Ludger Beerbaum |
| GER | Christian Ahlmann | GER | Marco Kutscher |
| GER | Marcus Ehning | GER | Philipp Weishaupt |
| GER | Daniel Deusser | GRE | Athina Onassis de Miranda |
| IRL | Denis Lynch | IRL | Billy Twomey |
| IRL | Mark Mc Auley | JAP | Toshiki Masui |
| KSA | Kamal Bahamdan | NED | Jeroen Dubbeldam |
| NED | Maikel van der Vleuten | NED | Gerco Schröder |
| NED | Harrie Smolders | POR | Luciana Diniz |
| QAT | Sh. Ali Al Thani | QAT | Faleh Al Adjmi |
| QAT | Mubarak Al Rumaihi | RUS | Vladimir Beletskiy |
| RUS | Vladimir Tuganov | SUI | Pius Schwizer |
| SUI | Steve Guerdat | SWE | Rolf-Göran Bengtsson |
| UKR | Björn Nagel | UKR | Katharina Offel |
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