The Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) and Global Champions League (GCL) bring together the top show jumpers in the world to compete in prestigious locations for unprecedented prize money.

Jan Tops, founder and President of the LGCT and husband of our own Edwina Tops-Alexander, is one of the most recognised and experienced figures in jumping. Jan won numerous individual and team championship titles and has the distinction of winning an Olympic Team Gold medal in Barcelona in 1992. Jan’s vision was to comprehensively raise standards across the whole sport and in 2006 he launched the Global Champions Tour which has transformed the world of international jumping.

The LGCT kicks off its 13th season in the spectacular destination of Mexico City, with the introduction of St Tropez and the magical city of Prague to the star-studded 2018 calendar. The Championship spans three continents and takes in the some of the world’s great cities including Paris, Monaco, Madrid, Miami Beach, Shanghai, Rome and Doha.

The exciting Global Champions League (GGL) was launched last year and runs alongside the LGCT with the addition this year of the ultimate showdown at the GC Playoffs in Prague this December. For the first time in the history of  jumping, top riders from different countries unite to compete on the same team ensuring electrifying competitions over a Championship season.

Click HERE for locations and dates of the 2018 Global Champions Season.

How do the GCL and LGCT work?

The first part of the GCL competition is on the opening day of each Global Champions event and this CSI5* 1.50/1.55m class will see teams’ combined scores taken forward to the second class. After the League riders have completed their rounds, the class will open to individual riders. All riders in this class will be chasing Longines world ranking points and prize money.

The second part of the GCL competition also doubles as a qualifier for the LGCT Grand Prix. It will be a CSI5* 1.55/1.60m class. This takes place on Saturdays at every event before the LGCT Grand Prix. Individual riders, not associated with teams, will be the first to start in this class to try to qualify for the LGCT Grand Prix. The GCL teams will  then take centre stage, carrying through their combined faults from the first class. The results of the League riders will count towards their overall team score, but now their performance will also determine whether they qualify for the LGCT Grand Prix as individuals.

The overall winners of the League competition will be the team with the least combined faults and quickest time.

The top 25 riders from the League and Individual starters in the second class will qualify for the LGCT Grand Prix. The LGCT Grand Prix will feature one round and a jump-off with riders starting on a clean zero score.

Australia in the LGCT and GCL

Edwina Tops-Alexander is the only Australian rider competing in the 2018 LGCT and the GCL and this year is on the St Tropez Pirates team:

– Edwina Tops-Alexander
– Pieter Devos
– Wout-Jan van der Schans
– Athina Onassis
– Laura Klaphake

A full list of the 19 GCL teams can be found HERE