Longines Global Champions Tour - The Ultimate Individual Challenge: EXPLAINED

Longines Global Champions Tour Explained
The Ultimate Individual Challenge

The 2024 Longines Global Champions Tour is in full swing and the ultimate individual championship race is heating up.

With 16 stops on the 2024 tour, horses and riders face challenges in technical courses, diverse arenas, and intense competition. Top talent compete across Asia, Europe, The Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, starting in Doha and travelling to prominent locations like Miami Beach, Mexico City, Monaco, Paris, Shanghai, and more. The tour culminates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where points earned contribute to the grand finale at the GC Playoffs.

The coveted Longines Global Champions Tour Champion of Champions title, won by Harrie Smolders in 2023, is at stake. The LGCT Grand Prix, a highlight of each event, features jumps set at 1.60m. 40 horse-rider combinations qualify for each LGCT Grand Prix through a 5* qualification class. Points are awarded in the LGCT Grand Prix at each stage throughout the year, contributing to the overall championship ranking. Each riders best 8 scores throughout the season count to their points tally.

In a secondary race for glory, riders will be looking to secure a Golden Ticket to the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Playoffs in November. Only 15 tickets are available, awarded to the winner of each LGCT Grand Prix. Each stage winner secures a Golden Ticket to the LGCT Super Grand Prix where they will go head to head with the other champions of the season.

With all eyes are firmly focused on the 16-leg tour this year, we eagerly await to see who will reach pole position on the leaderboard and earn the coveted title of Champion of Champions in 2024.

Longines Global Champions Tour: QUICK FACTS

• The height of LGCT Grand Prix jumps are set at 1.60m 
• Riders may choose to ride the horse of theirs best suited to the event, rather than having to stick to one mount throughout the year
• 40 horse and rider combinations will qualify for each LGCT Grand Prix by competing in the 5* classes preceding the LGCT Grand Prix day
• Throughout the year, points are allocated to riders according to their finishing place in each event's LGCT Grand Prix over the season. Each rider’s top eight scores count towards the overall championship ranking and a share of the bonus prize money
• Each LGCT Grand Prix winner, or the next highest ranked athlete, secures a Golden Ticket and qualifies for the LGCT Super Grand Prix at the final showdown of the year, the GC Riyadh Playoffs.