After a sensational gladiatorial battle last weekend in the ancient Circus Maximus, Rome, seven of the top ten riders in the dramatic Championship battle will return from 16 - 18 September for another season thriller in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Italy.
It is extremely close at the top of the overall season rankings as Edwina Tops-Alexander still leads the pack on 214 points while Olivier Robert, sitting on 208 has closed the gap to just 6 points. 2018 & 2019 Championship winner Ben Maher jumped up three places to third on 201 points while Max Khuner sits just behind on 194 and Peder Fredricson closes the top 5 with 189 points.
Both Tops-Alexander and Maher could make history this year if they were to win the overall season Championship. They are battling it out to be the first rider ever to claim three LGCT Championship titles. This weekend will also mark another milestone for Maher as he is set to make his 100th Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix appearance at the exciting 13th leg of the 2021 season.
As the championship pressure intensifies and the anticipation mounting there will be a host of the world’s best riders present in the heart of Rome for this weekend including Henrik von Eckermann, Malin Baryard-Johnsson, Micheal G Duffy, Eric and Maikel van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders, Eve Jobs, Penelope Leprevost, Emily Moffitt, Shane Breen, Denis Lynch, and Spencer Smith.
Home fans will once again be able to cheer on their local heroes of Alberto Zorzi, Antonio Alfonso, Filippo Bologni, Emanuele Camilli, Giulia Martinengo Marquet and Emanuele Gaudiano while also being treated to watch local and international stars in the CSI2* classes each day.
Free to attend for the public, the event will provide world-class show jumping and something for all the family, with plenty of entertainment with displays from a range of displays. One of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe, Rome’s historic heart contains iconic monuments and artistic masterpieces from the magnificent Colosseum and the Pantheon to the Sistine Chapel and the ruins of the Roman Forum. Visitors can take in Renaissance palazzos and Baroque fountains or simply stroll through beautiful piazzas and soak up the vibrancy of the city of La Dolce Vita.
My vision is clear. Only the best for the best.