California’s Richard Spooner won the 2013 GCT Grand Prix of Monaco
Record prize money of around €9 million (approximately US $12 million) will be part of this year’s ground-breaking Longines Global Champions Tour series.
The countdown to the start of the new championship season is underway and anticipation is mounting as riders and fans prepare for 14 incredible events and the biggest calendar in the Tour’s history. The first-ever show jumping event involving international horses in Shanghai, China, will feature the highest prize money with a total of approximately US $2,000,000.
The spectacular season prize pot includes a bonus of nearly €1 million to be split among the top 18 riders at the final leg in Qatar in November when the new 2014 Champion will be crowned. The world’s most lucrative and prestigious show jumping championship will once again feature the very best riders and horses competing in truly iconic destinations including Paris, Shanghai and Antwerp for the first time.
Jan Tops, Longines Global Champions Tour President, said: “The calibre of competition intensifies each season, ensuring we always have the highest level of sport at every event. Our goal is always to raise the bar in show jumping and deliver the best possible competition for our fans, sponsors and the media.”
2013 Longines Global Champions Tour Champion and World No1 Scott Brash was the highest earning rider last season. Scott took home an impressive €634,000 in rewards for his performances on the Tour, with his Olympic Gold medal-winning bay gelding Hello Sanctos. Overall, 2011 and 2012 Champion Edwina Tops-Alexander is currently the highest earning rider in the history of the circuit with over €2.4 million in prize money to her name.
The top eight highest earning riders on the Tour, including Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, have each won over €1 million since the series began in 2006. This year elite riders like America’s Laura Kraut and Dutch Olympic star Gerco Schröder are expected to leap over the €1 million mark.
This year is set to be the biggest and best Longines Global Champions Tour season to date. Following an explosive 2013, which saw some of the most exciting and closely fought Grand Prix in the history of the sport, with different riders winning each Grand Prix – the buzz around the up-coming 2014 championship race continues to grow.