The GC Prague Playoffs - Explained

The Prague Playoffs

All roads on the 2023 Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL team series lead ultimately to the GC Prague Playoffs and the O2 Arena in the Czech capital this November, where the ultimate showdown for the individual and team riders will take place.

Going into battle for over €11.5 million in prize money, the final weekend of the season is set to provide a nail-biting closer to this year’s circuit.

Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix
Ultimate Final Showdown

Take 15 world-beating riders, teamed up with some of the most talented horses on the planet, and pit them against each other for the ultimate high-stakes showdown in the magical city of Prague, Czech Republic, and what do you have? The Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix — one of the most prestigious and high-octane competitions in history.

In a revolutionary concept in show jumping, the winners of each LGCT Grand Prix on the circuit are invited to compete in the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague Playoffs to decide who will come out on top of the world’s best athletes. And, with this year’s circuit taking riders all across the world— The Americas, Europe and The Middle East — and stopping off at iconic locations such as Riyadh, Paris, Rome, London, Mexico City, to name a few, this final decider will be a truly global experience, testing the best of the best at the highest level.

The 15 winners (or highest placed rider if the winner secures a second LGCT Grand Prix win) from the 2023 season will face two formidable 1.65m tracks, set to test those who have looked on phenomenal form throughout the year.

With some of the biggest names in the sport set once again to go into battle for some of the richest prize money in the sport, this dramatic showdown looks set to be a real feast of top notch sporting action.

GCL Super Cup
Where teams meet for the final face-off

While the rivalry between teams reaches fever pitch this season, the GC Prague Playoffs will provide the perfect platform for the ultimate battle of the best, as teams fight for supremacy in the coveted GCL Super Cup.

All through the 2023 season, the 16 GCL teams will be fighting tooth and nail for every valuable ranking point, collected at each event on the global circuit. The GCL overall classification is based on each team’s points earned at every GCL event and the top four teams will fast-track their way to the semi-finals of the GCL Super Cup.

This final face-off will be in the minds of team managers as they choose from their roster of six riders throughout the season, playing their star strikers strategically across the very different events - from expansive grass fields of play such as Mexico City to the small sand arena nestled between Monaco’s superyachts, knowing your athletes and their horses will be crucial to a successful season-long campaign.

The GCL Super Cup will consist of team quarter-final, a semi-final and final rounds. The quarter-final, held over one 1.55m round, is open to 12 teams with three riders per team — those placed 5th to 16th on the GCL overall team standings prior to the GC Prague Playoffs. The best eight placed teams according to the aggregate time and penalties for each of the three riders then qualify for the semi-final the following day where they will be joined by the top four teams on the GCL overall team rankings and each of the three team riders will jump one round over 1.60m. The best six placed team competitions then go head-to-head in the final – held over two different 1.60m rounds against the clock without a jump-off.

With €10 million euros on offer for the GCL Super Cup alone, and the promise of passion, drama and glory - the race to the ultimate show down is on.