Global Champions Tour

The Global Champions Tour - abbreviated GCT - is a discharged since 2006 international tournament series in the show jumping. All tournaments of the series since 2007, advertised as CSI 5 *, the most severe category in jumping tournament.

Development of the series

The Global Champions Tour was first held in 2006. Initiator of the series is the former Dutch show jumping team and 1992 Olympic champion, Jan Tops. Saint of the series was until 2012 the Greek jumper and heiress of the assets of Aristotle Onassis, Athina Onassis.

In 2006, the stages of the series as part of the Grand Prize of a total of six tournaments of the categories CSI and CSI 4 * 5 * were discharged. The winner of the Global Champions Tour exams received a cash prize of € 50,000.

In 2007, came to the principal sponsors, CN / CN Worldwide and Rolex added the European Euro Sport TV channel. This is the official media partner of the Global Champions Tour and is also responsible for the international allocation of rights to the tour. Since 2007, all tournaments, during which stages of the Global Champions Tour were held were as CSI 5 * held, the prize money was also (of which € 100,000 for the winner ) increased to € 300,000 each special stage. Same time, all stages have been moved to Saturday afternoon or Saturday night, so that they in Central Europe in Euro sports program in prime time - can be broadcast - live or delayed live.

As of 2008, the Global Champions Tour is an officially recognized by the FEI tournament series but is still organized by Jan Tops. In the years 2008 and 2009, an official Global Champions Tour final was played that with € 900,000 ( including 300,000 € for the winner ) was doped. To participate in this, the riders had to qualify on the overall standings.

As a result of the increasingly looming financial and economic crisis, it was decided to change the distribution of the prize money in the 2009 season. The organizers of the tournaments will receive a support of 15,000 €, the remaining endowment of € 285,000 each special stage will be distributed as prize money to participants (of which € 95,000 for the winner ). An exception to this is the special stage of Estoril, the € 400,000 prize money (of which € 136,000 for the winner ) the Aachen Grand Prix picked up the title as höchstdotiere Jumping Europe.

In 2010 the watchmaker Jaeger- LeCoultre took the place of CN and Rolex as the main sponsor of the series, this a three-year contract was signed. Beginning with the 2013 Longines could be won as a new main sponsor ..

Stations of the Global Champions Tour

The actual stations of the Global Champions Tour are (as of November 2013):

  • Belgium Antwerp, from 2014 station of the GCT
  • Spain Madrid, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, since 2013 the station GCT
  • Germany Hamburg - German Jumping and Dressage Derby, Derby Park in small Flottbeck, since 2008 the station GCT
  • France Cannes, Stade des Hesperides, since 2006 the station GCT
  • Monaco Monte Carlo, shore at the marina "Port Hercule ", since 2006 the station GCT
  • France Paris, Champ de Mars, from 2014 station of the GCT
  • Portugal Cascais near Estoril, Hipódromo Manuel Possolo, since 2006 the station GCT
  • France Chantilly racecourse at Castle of Chantilly, since 2010 the station GCT
  • Valkenswaard The Netherlands, since 2006 the station GCT
  • Switzerland Lausanne, Lausanne International Horse Show, since 2012 the station GCT
  • People's Republic of China Shanghai, from 2014 station of the GCT
  • Qatar Doha Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre ( until 2012 at the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club ), 2008, 2011 and 2012 station of the GCT, 2009 and 2013 GCT- finals

Former hosts of the Global Champions Tour are:

  • United States Wellington ( Florida) - Winter Equestrian Festival, Palm Beach International Equestrian Center ( PBIEC ), 2006 and 2007 station of the GCT
  • Belgium Zangersheide in Lanaken - EU Open Masters and Future Masters, held in 2006 only
  • Greece Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre in Athens, in 2007 the station GCT
  • Italy Arezzo, Arezzo Equestrian Centre, 2007-2009 station of the GCT
  • Italy La Mandria at Turin, in 2010 the station GCT
  • Brazil Rio de Janeiro - Athina Onassis International Horse Show, equestrian center Sociedade Brasileira Hípica in Rio de Janeiro, from 2009 to 2011 the station GCT; to 2008 held in the Hipica Paulista in Sao Paulo
  • Spain Valencia, reclaimed water basin in front of the Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe in the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias, 2009-2011 station of the GCT
  • Spain Oliva in Valencia, Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Resort, 2012 Station of the GCT
  • United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi, Al Forsan International Sports Resort, 2011 and 2012 station of the GCT
  • Germany Wiesbaden - International Pentecost Tournament, Castle Biebrich, 2012 and 2013 station of the GCT

The stages

At the stages of the Global Champions Tour may participate:

  • The top 30 riders in the world rankings. For participation waiver may be nachgerückt - maximum up to 150th in the world rankings
  • The owner of Wild Cards: these are awarded by the organizers of the Global Champions Tour, the organizers of the special stages or by national coach and by the FEI.

The special stage is discharged as a jumping competition with two rounds and jump. Here, both rounds have a different course. The second round to reach the best 18 riders of the first circulation or, if these are more, all clear rounds. The penalties are hereby taken out of the first round, in the final time of the second circulation comes a.

Scoring

The overall rating is determined by the placement of the rider / riders, regardless of the horse, in the individual stages.

The scoring was made here until 2009 as follows:

At the start of the 2010 season, the points allocation was converted and done since as follows:

From the 2012 season only get riders to the 18th rank score points.

Full and Final Winner

Below is a list with the final results overall in the Global Champions Tour. In the years 2006 and 2007, the winner of the Global Champions Tour was determined by the total score in the Jahrem 2008 and 2009, she served for the determination of the grid at the series finale. Since 2010, the winner of the Global Champions Tour is determined based on the overall standings again. At the 18 top-ranked riders of the final total score an additional cash prize of € 1,000,000 has been awarded since 2010.

Since the year 2008, in which the Global Champions Tour was officially recognized as a series of FEI, there was (until 2009) a series finale. The series finale was held here by a different time from the special stages Regulations: On Thursday a preliminary examination of the 25 skilled workers took place, which was held as to Penalties and Time with a circulation. From this, the 18 best rider / inside qualified for the main test of the finals on Saturday, which was held as a jump-off. The first test was endowed with 50,000 €, the main test was 900,000 € doped ( thereof € 300,000 for the winner ).

The qualification for the finals took place on the aforementioned Rating ( the best 25 riders / inside qualify for the final, moving up is possible). The following rider - horse combinations went so far emerged as the final winner of the Global Champions Tour:

Criticism

Overlaps with Nations Cup tournaments

To over other events in show jumping, especially the Nations Cup to prevent excessive power of the Global Champions Tour, the European Equestrian Federation demanded ( the European Association of equestrian associations) end of 2011, a rule change. The most important nations prices should no longer with other CSI 5 * tournaments, especially with GCT tournaments coincide future.

However, this could not be implemented in the short term. So it remained for further overlaps in the tournament calendars 2012 and 2013.

Even the International Jumping Riders Club ( IJRC; advocacy of jumpers that are placed among the top 100 in the world ranking) took this issue and spoke with two-thirds majority in favor of that only half of the GCT- stations to be included in the overall standings. The FEI joined the opinion of the IJRC, only half of the GCT tests therefore count from 2012 for the general classification.

Sale of Wild Card take-off point

In 2012 it was announced that the organizers of the Global Champions Tour sell their quota for 30,000 euro per Wild Card.

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