The best riders in the world are heading for the Longines Global Champions Tour at the Champ de Mars in Paris from July 4th to 7th for the fifth edition of the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping.

2018 World Cup winner Beezie Madden (USA) – also a two-time Olympic team champion, Harrie Smolders (NED) – no. 1 in the world and European Vice-Champion, four French Olympic Champions: Roger-Yves Bost, Kévin Staut, Philippe Rozier and Pénélope Leprévost, reigning European Champion Peder Fredricsson (SWE) as well as Longines Global Champions Tour leaders Edwina Top Alexander (AUS), Ben Maher and Scott Brash (GBR) will all be competing.

Current overall LGCT ranking leader Edwina Tops-Alexander has widened her lead slightly, where she now sits on 186 points overall. Ahead of the event, she spoke of what it takes to succeed at the highest level of the sport. “You’ve got to be switched on, you’ve got to be on the ball and you have to know your horse very well. There are so many different elements that go towards it, and that’s the thing about being good and having good results - it’s precision. You only get that by practising and continually going at this high level - and when you’re continuously at this high level, with the best riders in the world, it keeps you up there. That’s the only way to stay at the top.”