LGCT Paris Eiffel Jumping: A TOP LEVEL FIELD AT THE FOOT OF THE EIFFEL TOWER
It’s become an unmissable rendezvous for the World’s best riders. Once again, the Longines Global Champions Tour – Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping (LGCT-LPEJ) is preparing to welcome the elite of show-jumping. Set up this time for 2021 on the Place Jacques Rueff, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the Parisian show, the sixth leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, has known how to attract the best in the discipline. The promise of thrills and excitement during the three days of the event (25th to the 27th of June) with not only the best of what this sport has to offer but also numerous activities (free access to the village) in a postcard setting.
Great sport each day
Right from the first day of classes, riders must straight-away perform at their best with the first round of the Global Champions League (first round presented by Hubside.Store, Friday 7.05pm ; second round presented by Metrobus, Saturday at 4pm), the only competition that sees riders from different nations competing under the same team banner. Already winners at the legs held at Doha (QAT) and Saint-Tropez-Ramatuelle (FRA), the Valkenswaard United, led by Edwina Tops-Alexander, Ireland’s Bertram Allen as well as Italy’s Alberto Zorzi will have the opportunity to strengthen their current lead.
The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in the colours of the City of Paris, Saturday 26th of June, at 7.15pm, will constitute the highlight of the week-end. Raising the trophy and succeeding Germany’s Christian Ahlmann, the previous winner, riding Take a Chance on Me will be the dream of many. Loyal to the Parisian leg, the German will be determined again this year to retain his crown. But over the tracks built by French course designer Grégory Bodo, the competition will be particularly fierce. Amongst the top names present in Paris, the ex-World n°1, Great Britain’s Ben Maher (today ranked 4th), who has already tasted victory ten times on the Longines Global Champions Tour, Ireland’s Denis Lynch, Shane Breen, Mark Mcauley, Billy Twomey and Bertram Allen (winner of the Grand Prix in 2015), Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Sergio Alvarez Moya, Italy’s Alberto Zorzi, Israel’s Daniel Bluman, Egypt’s Nayel Nassar, Brazil’s Yuri Mansur, and not forgetting America’s Margie Goldstein-Engle, can all boast legitimate ambitions.
On Sunday the 27th of June, the World’s best will also be resolute on stealing the show in the day’s big class, the Team Créatif Eiffel Challenge (2.45pm), the ideal opportunity for all the actors in this big show to leave Paris on a positive note.
The French cavalry out in force and full of ambition
If the foreign riders are to be very closely watched, the French, out in force, can benefit from the support of their fans in the stands in order to play the leading roles..
Winner of the second leg of the circuit, in Madrid, Olivier Robert will be trying to be the third rider to make the Marseillaise resonate here since the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping entered the Longines Global Champions Tour circuit, in 2014. He’d be following Kevin Staut and his grey mare Silvana HDC, the first to assert themselves on the Champ de Mars, in 2014, and Julien Epaillard, victorious in 2017, on Usual Suspect d’Auge and who is again present this year to aim for a previously never been done double.
The French clan will equally be counting upon their other trump cards.
Fielding three of it’s Rio champions, Pénélope Leprévost, Roger-Yves Bost and Philippe Rozier, and not forgetting Simon Delestre, Julien Anquetin, Edward Levy, Mathieu Billot, Titouan Schumacher nor the young Jeanne Sadran, France is advancing strongly. A few days from the announcement of the Tokyo selections, the French team will be very keen to make an impact and win acclaim.
Following this moment of top class sport, the public can then enjoy a display by the Garde Républicaine before paying homage to Rahotep de Toscane. The team gold medallist winning horse, ridden by Philippe Rozier, is invited to make the final lap of honour in his career at the foot the Eiffel Tower. The grey stallion will then return to Normandy, to enjoy peaceful retirement in the fields on the stud farm belonging to his owner Christian Baillet.
A place for hopefuls in the Parisian ring
Competitors in the 1* CSI will equally have the privilege of riding in this extraordinary setting with the grand finale being the class on Sunday at 5,30pm. The occasion for some of them, like the young Eden Leprévost Blin Lebreton as well as many other up-and-coming young riders, to harden and to accumulate an invaluable experience. During the weekend all will have enjoyed sharing the same ring with their idols, who throughout the year compete in all the World’s major events, and undoubtedly the Longines Global Champions Tour – Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping belongs to this world of excellence.
Press Release Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping
Photo credits:Philippe Rozier; ambassador of the LGCT-LPEJ 2021 during the 2019 edition ©Jessica Rodriguez
ChristianAhlmann, winners of Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in 2019 presented by the City of Paris ©Jessica Rodriguez
