14 Aug 2014
The Longines Global Champions Tour of London is one of the richest and most prestigious show jumping events of the year. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has welcomed the return of the world-class series to the British capital, this time hosted by the historic and iconic site Horse Guards Parade Ground:
“Following the success of last year’s Longines Global Champions Tour in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it is with great pleasure that I welcome back to London the best equestrian talent in the world. The Olympic and Paralympic Games cemented London’s reputation for hosting tremendous sporting occasions, and the decision by the organisers of the Longines Global Champions Tour to return to London provides further evidence of this.”
“To my mind, London is the home of world-class sport and I would actively encourage more sports to come and experience everything that makes it the best big city in the world. This year we transfer to the historic and iconic Horse Guards Parade Ground, best known around the globe for HM The Queen’s Birthday Parade – Trooping the Colour. This site, situated right at the heart of our great city, has been a home to equestrian events for hundreds of years. Indeed, during the reign of Henry VIII, it was the setting for many magnificent jousting tournaments.”
“Only last month, Horse Guards Parade played host to some of the finest athletes and para-athletes in the world as they took part in the second Anniversary Games; only days before that and a stone’s throw away on The Mall, London hosted the finish of Stage Three of the Tour de France. Two years on from London 2012 and our city continues to deliver a true legacy from that amazing summer of sport. I hope you enjoy this year’s London leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour and I wish all the competitors the very best of luck.”
Horse Guards Parade Ground will welcome over 240 horses and 27 of the world’s Top 30 show jumping riders. As the 11th leg of the 2014 Longines Global Champions Tour Championship season, London is a key stage where the overall series may be won or lost and every result is crucial. The Championship race has developed into one of the closest ever seen in the Tour’s nine year history with just 40 points separating the top four ranked riders. The Longines Global Champions Tour of London Grand Prix present by Qatar, which takes place on Saturday at 3.25pm, will be a make-or-break round for those battling at the top of the leaderboard.
Peter Phillips, the Event Organiser: “If you are going to have an event of the statue of Longines Global Champions Tour, then Horse Guards is an incredible, iconic location for the best show jumping Tour on the planet. This is where all the top riders in the world and all the top horses will be coming for the best prize money in the world. These events are very prestigious and glamorous and when you add in fantastic competition in the arena, you have a great cocktail. London needed to be on the roster of this fantastic series and now this year we have managed to bring it to Horse Guards Parade Ground.”
Jan Tops, President of the Longines Global Champions Tour: “It is good to come into central London, as part of our vision is to bring show jumping to as many people as possible and that means being in the centre of the great cities of the world. It is a fantastic, iconic site. We have worked closely with the Royal Parks for many months to make the event happen and we are grateful for all of their support. We have had some really great competitions in our sport since the Tour was launched, especially in London last year, and each year the standard of competition gets higher and higher.”
Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT
Source: Longines GCT
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