Top 10 Set for Shake Up at Monaco Global Champions Tour!

The Longines Global Champions Tour leaderboard is heading for a shake up at Port Hercule arena in Monte-Carlo as the championship series heads towards the halfway mark.

Some of the fastest riders on the planet will be in Monaco for the three-day spectacular on the French Riviera.  Heavyweight contenders Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Edwina Tops-Alexander, Denis Lynch, William Funnell, Michael Whitaker, Jane Richard Philips and Scott Brash are in with a strong chance of climbing the ranking board.

The €285,000 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Monaco, presented by HSBC Private Bank (Monaco), will once again test the very best in the world. The richest show jumping series, with over €8 million in prize money over the 13 events in 2013, has already witnessed a fierce battle for dominance on the ranking board with Laura Kraut currently on top on 132 points ahead of Christian Ahlmann on 124 points. The much-anticipated event rolls into Monaco over th e next few days with the first vet inspection for horses on Wednesday afternoon and a re-inspection at the showground on Thursday morning in line with FEI rules. Dazzling Monte-Carlo, for nearly a century the playground of Royalty, billionaires and Hollywood stars, is set for a unique equestrian experience as the Longines Global Champions Tour gets underway on Thursday.

World class VIP facilities will greet guests and sponsors as they enjoy ringside sporting entertainment overlooking the superyacht harbour. From Great Britain three Whitaker brothers are taking part in the Monaco leg of the championship series - Michael, John and Robert - heading up a significant British contingent. The 5* competitions promise to be fast and furious in the compact sand arena, 75m x 28m, with speed demons Roger-Yves Bost, Richard Spooner and Rodrigo Pessoa in hot contention for prize money.

Honorary President of the show, Charlotte Casiraghi has organised the Longines Pro-Am Cup on Friday even ing when professional and amateur riders will team up in a fast and furious speed contest. The Longines Global Champions Tour series is the ultimate test for show jumpers with the challenging 1.60m Grand Prix taking place in a wide variety of conditions - grass and sand, small and large arenas and jumping by day and night. So far there have been hugely impressive Grand Prix victories for Michael Whitaker on Viking in Madrid, Christian Ahlmann and Codex One in Hamburg, Laura Kraut and Cedric in Wiesbaden, Ben Maher on Cella in London and Marcus Ehning on Plot Blue in Cannes.

Eurosport, the world’s most watched sports channel, will once again broadcast the Grand Prix on Saturday evening. All the sporting action can be watched on the dedicated livestreaming service at www.globalchampionstour.com/gct-live You can check the broadcast schedule for Monaco at www.globalchampionstour.com/tv-schedule

Quick Links

Visit the Global Champions Tour website

View Showjumping Horses for sale on Horsezone