The world’s leading show jumping championships will be staged at The International Quarter, adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, cementing the extraordinary equestrian legacy from the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Global Champions Tour will bring world class five-star show jumping to the capital from June 6-9 with the full support of Mayor of London Boris Johnson and his Chief of Staff Sir Edward Lister. It will be one of the first international sporting events in the Olympic Park since the London Games and comes only weeks before the site opens fully to the public.
Britain’s Olympic show jumping gold medallists will be competing in the Global Champions Tour event along with the world’s Top 30 riders. Record prize money of around 750,000 Euros will be on offer during the four days of the event. Swiss watchmaker Longines is the main partner and official timekeeper and Eurosport will broadcast the GCT Grand Prix on Saturday worldwide.
The high profile international event will be staged next to the world famous Olympic Stadium and other state-of-the-art Olympic venues like the aquatics centre. An application to stage the event at Kensington Gardens was turned down by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The Olympic venue will be a major visitor attraction and a stunning addition to the prestigious Global Champions Tour circuit. This year’s calendar features new venues in London, Shanghai and Madrid and includes spectacular legs in Monaco, Doha, Cannes, Chantilly and Vienna.
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Sir Edward Lister, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of London, said: “I’m delighted that the organizers of the Global Champions Tour have found a new venue in London on The International Quarter, adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, to host this world class international equestrian event. It is vital that the legacy of the London Olympics and Paralympics are delivered across as many sports as possible to allow as many people as possible to continue to enjoy the success generated by all our medal winners last year. This event will help to do just that.”
Event organizer Peter Phillips of SEL-UK (Sports & Entertainment Ltd), said: “We are delighted that we are still able to bring this world class show jumping series to the UK to build on the fantastic Olympic legacy of Great Britain’s equestrians. It is a great opportunity to stage the competition at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, creating a true link to the legacy of the London Games. We have already received strong support from the local community and look forward to delivering an exciting sporting event for everyone.”
A grandstand for 3,000 spectators, paying between £10 and £50, will be erected around the arena with corporate hospitality marquees for 700 people alongside. A shopping village and a giant TV screen will also be available for the public.
