DOHA: An impressive six out of the world’s top ten riders, including two out of the top three, will be heading to the Longines Global Champions Tour final, hosted by the stunning Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre in Doha next month.
Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) or Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) are the top favourites to claim the overall Champion of Champions title this year, following a season-long battle for valuable ranking points.
Olympic athlete Rolf, who currently sits on a tally of 272 points, will be hoping for his first ever LGCT Champions title win.
The experienced Swedish rider has come excruciatingly close, not once but twice before, after tying with the leader on points but losing on the number of Grand Prix wins.
Two-time LGCT Champion Edwina, who has 267 points overall, will be hoping to secure a record never-before-seen third title, with a hat trick the first of its kind in the sport.
Talking about her plans for the final, the top Australian athlete said: “My tactic is just to do my best and be on the podium. Although 5 points doesn’t sound like much with the drop off scores it does work towards Rolf so I have to have a very good result on the day to win. But everything is possible and at the end of the day there is only one of us that can win and one of us to be second.”
The duo will be joined by the very best riders in the world, all vying for the top spot in the Grand Prix and the lion’s share of the €450,000 prize purse on offer. On top of that, the overall LGCT Ranking bonus prize fund of almost €1m will be divided, with riders using the final in Doha as their last chance to change the order up and down the leaderboard.
The electrifying climax to the season at Al Shaqab, a world-class equestrian facility and part of the Qatar Foundation, will take place from November 3 to 5. Home heroes and members of the Qatar Olympic show jumping team Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani (QAT), Bassem Hassan Mohammed (QAT) and Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi (QAT) will compete in front of local fans and spectators, with the top Qatari riders looking for a strong result in the Grand Prix.
Former long term LGCT leader and current world number 1 Christian Ahlmann (GER) will be back and ready to do battle in the final Grand Prix of the season on November 5. While the top German rider cannot knock Rolf or Edwina off the top spot, he will be looking for a strong result in order to defend his third position from those snapping at his heels below.
Fellow German rider and World Number 9 Marcus Ehning (GER), who this season has won two LGCT Grand Prix (Madrid and Vienna) said: “I’m looking forward to Doha. It has been a very good GCT season for me, with two Grand Prix wins, and although I’m not in the fight for the Championship it’s going to be another amazing event and final.”
Other big names to join those at Al Shaqab are world number 2 Simon Delestre (FRA), World Number 6 Daniel Deusser (GER), World Number 8 and Rio Olympic Team Gold Medallist Kevin Staut (FRA) and world number 10 Scott Brash (GBR).
Al Shaqab was established as part of H H the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani’s vision and passion to preserve and perpetuate the Arabian horses in Qatar.
Qatar, a destination which joined the Tour in 2008, has continued to build on its reputation as a global sports destination and a hub for major international sporting occasions.
Leading events like the final of the Longines Global Champions Tour have been part of this evolution and Qatari national riders, including Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani (QAT) and Bassem Hassan Mohammed (QAT) - both of whom will compete in November - are increasingly prominent on the international show jumping stage, with Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani securing an individual sixth place at this year’s Rio Olympics - the debut for Qatar in show jumping.
Just a few of the other big names to head to Doha are Ludger Beerbaum (GER), Laura Kraut (USA), Michael Whitaker (GBR), Marco Kutscher (GER), Roger-Yves Bost (FRA), Maikel van der Vleuten (NED), Nicola Philippaerts (BEL), Olivier Philippaerts (BEL), Lauren Hough (USA), Jack Towell (USA), Laura Renwick (GBR), Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) and Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA).
The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha will take place at 17:15 on November 5, while the historic Global Champions League final - which sees four teams in contention for the first ever GCL Title - will kick off on November 3 at 17:00.
