Amid bright sunshine on the banks of the Rhine, leading riders from all over the world began preparing for the latest Grand Prix in the Global Champions Tour series 2012.
Being held in Wiesbaden for the first time, riders, grooms and horses were all getting used to the new surroundings in lush parkland at Biebricher Schlosspark.
Edwina Tops-Alexander, currently top of the GCT ranking in 2012, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Philipp Weishaupt, Luciana Diniz, Sergio Alvarez Moya, Alvaro de Miranda, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Pius Schwizer, Michael Whitaker and Richard Spooner and Lauren Hough from the USA are just some of the top names scheduled to compete in Wiesbaden.
The truly global nature of the event is highlighted by the attendance of leading riders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia, Syria, Mexico and Japan.
The equine stars of GCT went through the mandatory vet check yesterday afternoon to ensure they were in top condition after travelling from all corners of Europe for the 5* competitions today and tomorrow, leading up to Saturday’s Grand Prix. GCT Show Director Marco Danese predicted a big turnout throughout the weekend.
“The venue is fantastic. It is a beautiful park for a top quality show jumping event. We are expecting large crowds and the facilities are impressive and I would like to thank the local organisers for their co-operation in setting everything up for this first Global Champions Tour show in Wiesbaden.”
The first CSI 5* class gets underway this afternoon and over the next few days tens of thousands of spectators are expected at the elegant venue, which has hosted one of world’s oldest horse shows for seven decades. As well as top-level international show jumping, crowds will also be treated to displays of floodlit free-style dressage and eventing.
Renowned show jumping course designer Frank Rothenberger will be testing both horses and riders with a series of challenging fences and combinations in the big grass arena. Riders will be aiming for important GCT ranking points in the Grand Prix and a share of the €285,000 prize money - the richest in the sport.
The equestrian arenas are set against the dramatic backdrop of the baroque Schloss, the royal summer residence, known as the “pleasure palace”. The tree-lined avenues stretching from the Schloss was busy with visitors watching the horses being exercised as part of the warm up preparations for the serious business of show jumping later today.
Pressemitteilung vom 25.05.2012 (globalchampionstour.com)
