Press release from Longines Global Champions Tour

An impressive line-up of show jumping superstars will continue their campaign as the Longines Global Champions Tour heads to the beautiful destination of Club de Campo Villa de Madrid next week and raises the curtain on the European leg of the 2023 Championship.

With 20 nationalities being represented the competition is sure to be fierce, as riders battle it out in the €500,000 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid - but who will come out on top?

The intense 2023 Longines Global Champions Tour ranking battle could be in for a major shake-up. Leading the charge is previous LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid winner Maikel van der Vleuten who is currently ranked second in the Championship. 

World number one and two Henrik von Eckermann and Julien Epaillard will be lining up in the starting box and flexing their muscles in preparation for a venue they know and love. Local hero Eduardo Alvarez Aznar has previously placed second and third on home turf in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid. Will 2023 be the year he brings home the win for the fans? 

Joining them will be a host of other elite riders, including Edwina Tops-Alexander, Niels Bruynseels, Pieter Devos, Gerrit Nieberg, Simon Delestre, Christian Kukuk, Harrie Smolders, Spencer Smith, and many others. With such a strong field of competitors, the Longines Global Champions Tour of Madrid promises to be an unforgettable event.

Madrid will also provide a platform for many of the world’s rising stars to shine. U25 riders Gilles Thomas, Thibeau Spits, Sara Vingralkova, Nina Mallevaey, Jeanne Sadran, Philipp Schulze Topphoff, Michael Pender, Mike Kawai, Khaled Almobty, and Natalie Dean will all be aiming for the top spot in the huge grass arena.

Find out who will join Philipp Weishaupt, Katrin Eckermann, and David Will and earn a golden ticket to the LGCT Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague Playoffs this November as the show promises to be a nail-biting affair.

Kicking off a flat-out gallop across key European cities, Madrid is a globally significant capital that buzzes with sophistication and energy. With excellent equestrian facilities and two golf courses - including one designed by the late Seve Ballesteros - this unique venue brings together elite-level competition and the glamour of world-class show jumping in the historic Spanish capital.