(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)
Shanghai will be the dramatic stage for a $1 million showdown as the world’s premier show jumping series makes history in China today.
The Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai Grand Prix is only hours away, with the world’s most famous riders competing on international horses for the first time in mainland China. It is the first time Chinese fans have been able to watch world-famous show jumping horses live in their country after a landmark agreement reached by the Tour with the European Commission and Chinese authorities.
The Grand Prix line-up includes Christian Ahlmann (GER), current Tour ranking leader Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS), Kevin Staut (FRA), Ludger Beerbaum (GER), Luciana Diniz (POR), Pius Schwizer (SUI), Marco Kutscher (GER), Kamal Bahamdan (KSA), Michael Whitaker (GBR) among the big names in action.
Olympic and European medal winner Marco Kutscher, who has his bay gelding Cornet’s Cristallo and Liberty Son 2 in Shanghai, said: “It is fantastic here. The event is really impressive when you consider it is the first time here in Shanghai and we are riding our own horses for the first time in China.”
Olympic bronze medal-winning Noblesse des Tess, Cocoskynsky, Zinedine, Amai, Gotha and Aragon are all competing in the 1.60m Grand Prix which looks set to be a major battle.
Senior Chinese dignitaries and business leaders are attending the event to mark the ground-breaking agreement for foreign horses to compete here. Tour President Jan Tops said: “This is a truly historic moment for show jumping and for equestrian sport in China.”
The arrival of the world-class show jumping has created huge media interest in China with around 100 Chinese media outlets attending the event. Chinese broadcast networks like CCTV and Dragon TV reach hundreds of millions of people across the mainland and wider region.
Show jumping is surging in popularity across China and yesterday riders Billy Twomey (IRE), Edwina-Tops Alexander, Ludger Beerbaum and Shane Breen (IRE) were surrounded by fans eager for autographs and photographs.
The Shanghai event has already provided exciting competition. Young Belgian rider Constant van Paesschen has thrilled the local Shanghai crowd with a blistering win in the jump off on Citizenguard Cadjanine yesterday. He just eclipsed Billy Twomey’s lightning quick time of 39.16 by only 0.03 of a second. All the Grand Prix action will be live on GCT TV at www.globalchampionstour.com
