New location for Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL Finals

The thrilling final stages of the Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL 2021 season will be staged in the beautiful setting of Šamorín on the shores of the River Danube.

The X-Bionic Sphere resort will host the 14th stage and the season Finals of the Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL championships ahead of the big showdown at the GC Prague Playoffs at the O2 Arena in November.

The stakes will be high at the back to back events in Šamorín on 15 - 17 and 21 - 23 October which will be brimming with spectacular top sport in the high octane sprint to the 2021 championship climax.

There will be plenty to focus the minds of leading riders at the venue which is purpose-built for Olympic training in multiple sports including equestrian:

 

•    Individual riders will be locked in an adrenaline-fulled race for the last two golden tickets to compete in the prestigious Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix in Prague

•    GCL teams will be at full throttle with their last chance to secure a place in the top four of the overall season ranking to fast track to the semi-finals of the GCL Super Cup.

•    On the horizon will be €7,250,000 in prize money at the GC Prague Playoffs so performance and tactics at the October Šamorín events will be crucial.

The move to the European venue in Slovakia follows the difficult decision not to stage the events in New York and Shanghai due to multiple ongoing restrictions and logistical complications related to Covid-19 and the Delta variant.

Šamorín has over 800 years of history and a great tradition in sport and the beautiful venue is set in over 100 hectares offering excellent facilities for sport including 8 oversized arenas (3 grass arenas, 2 indoor arenas, 3 sand arenas) and a 1.6-kilometer-long galloping track.

Outside of its equestrian grounds, the 1.000.000 square meter x-bionic® sphere houses state of the art facilities for 26 Olympic disciplines including cycling, running, and swimming, among others offering equestrian athletes the chance to try their hand at a variety of sports in their downtime while also making use of x-bionic® sphere’s exceptional fitness amenities.

The event will also be a fantastic opportunity for exciting talent to shine in the 2* competitions at the incredible new venue alongside the world-class 5* show jumping.

Following the dramatic Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL of Hamburg which left Edwina Tops-Alexander just ahead of Oliver Robert and saw Paris Panthers jump within touching distance of long time season leaders Valkenswaard United, it will be all to play for in the final stages of the year.

The circuit now heads to the ancient site of Circus Maximus in Rome for two weekends with leading riders and teams competing at one of the most unique stages for show jumping in the world.