Programbook of Samorin by Explose

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LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR

ŠAMORÍN 15 - 17 OCTOBER 2021 X-BIONIC

SPHERE

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LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR

ŠAMORIN 15-17 OCTOBER 2021

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CONTENT

Summary 06

LGCT SERIES

QUALIFIERS

THE SEASON 2021

SUPER GR AND PRIX

DESTINATION ROME

SUPER CUP

GC CALENDAR

LONGINES COLLECTION

MEET MAT THIAS BRESCHAN

TIMETABLE

MEET JAN TOPS

RIDERS LIST

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WELCOME TO

Šamorín

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welcome to

The 2021 season Welcome to the world’s most dynamic and exciting equestrian

To earn championship honours , horse and rider will be

sport circuit. Putting show jumping’s best riders and horses

challenged in a variety of testing tracks with fans around the

together in unique locations around the world for two thrilling

world set to enjoy another highly-charged season unfolding at

championships. The 2021 Longines Global Champions Tour

incredible destinations

and GCL series will once again visit iconic capital cities and breathtaking Riviera destinations while bringing top tier sport

The world’s best will be striving to win a golden ticket for the

to fans across the globe.

Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix as individual winners of each event from the 2021 season will go head-to-

The mesmerising 2021 battle travels to iconic locations around

head for the prestigious title at the O2 Arena in Prague. There

the world, from the season opener in Doha, through Madrid,

will be extra pressure for the teams at the GC Prague Playoffs

Ramatuelle/Saint Tropez, Valkenswaard, Stockholm , Paris ,

to field the ultimate combinations for the GCL Super Cup as a

Monaco, Berlin, London, back to Valkenswaard, Hamburg,

stunning €6 million is up for grabs in just one weekend.

Rome, Šamorín and culminating in the ultimate showdown in the With thrilling light shows, hugely popular entertainment and a

electrifying GC Prague Playoffs.

dazzling Walk of Champions, the GC Playoffs has been declared On the Longines Global Champions Tour precision, power and

“a milestone in the history of our sport ” by multi-Olympian

elegance are all combined in one spectacular championship

Ludger Beerbaum.

series. Elite equestrian athletes including Olympic and World Champions will compete for some of the highest prize money in

Fans around the world will be able to watch all the sporting

the sport with the aim of landing on top of the podium.

drama unfold on GCTV which will continue to innovate with new graphics and technology taking fans backstage with the stars at

GCL embarks on its sixth year and the rivalry between teams will

the extraordinary events world-wide. It’s the big event you simply

be greater than ever throughout 2021. Top riders from different

cannot miss.

countries are united with star U25 riders to take show jumping to a new level of sporting excellence. Team spirit, team tactics and the strongest combinations are what’s needed to win with only the top teams able to claim the highest amount of championship points. Part of the 2019 Championship winning team London Knights, Olivier Philippaerts said: “ The Global Tour is not only a top competition in terms of participants, everything is organized perfect down to the last detail. I always look forward to the GCL team competition, is great fun and the high level of competition motivates me to stay in the best form.”

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DESTINATION

Šamorín The X-Bionic Sphere resort will host the 14th stage and the season Finals of the Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL championships for the first time ever. Šamorín has over 800 years of history and a great tradition in sport. The beautiful venue is set in over 100 hectares offering excellent facilities for sport including 8 oversized arenas (3 grass, 2 indoor, 3 sand) and 1.6 km of gallop tracks. Outside of its equestrian grounds, the 1.000.000 square meter x-bionic® sphere houses state of the art facilities for 26 Olympic disciplines including cycling, running, and swimming, among others offering equestrian athletes the chance to try their hand at a variety of sports in their downtime while also making use of x-bionic® sphere’s exceptional fitness amenities. There are few places where you can feel a real love for horses, but the x-bionic® equestor sphere is definitely one of them. During the year, it offers riders and spectators a number of national and international races in horse jumping, endurance riding and dressage. Professional equipment in conjunction with a beautiful environment, has already made it a world-class complex.

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ANYTIME, ANYWHERE SUBSCRIBE NOW 12

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2021 SEASON CALENDAR

JOIN NOW THE BEST IN SHOW JUMPING Follow the LGCT, GCL and much more 13

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MEET

Matthias Breschan LONGINES CEO

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Equestrian Sports Enthusiasts, On behalf of the Longines management, it is a great pleasure to be in Šamorín for the fourteenth leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, of which we are the Title Partner and Official Timekeeper. This event promises great showjumping drama and unique entertainment. We are looking forward to the enthralling competitions at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Šamorín from 15 to 17 October. The fourteenth leg of the 2021 series is the perfect opportunity for Longines to highlight the Official Watch of the event, a brand new model of The Longines Master Collection. Distinguished by its elegance, character and purity, this refined creation for women featuring a moon phase indicator perfectly combines Longines’ watchmaking sophistication and tradition to delight those wishing to pursue both fine watchmaking and timeless style. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Equestrian Sports Enthusiasts, I wish you a thrilling weekend filled with beautiful sports moments at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Šamorín, where toplevel show jumping meets the very unique atmosphere of this city.

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MEET

Jan Tops FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF LGCT AND GCL

Welcome to the Longines Global Champions Tour of Samorin where the thrilling final stages of the Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL 2021 season will be staged in the fantastic setting of Šamorín. The X-Bionic Sphere resort will host the 14th stage and the season Finals ahead of the showdown at the GC Prague Playoffs at the O2 Arena in November. The stakes will be high as we are guaranteed spectacular top sport in the high octane sprint to the 2021 championship climax. We are extremely appreciative of the support of the X-Bionic Sphere to enable us to present the LGCT of Šamorín in this truly incredible venue and Olympic training facility. I would also like to thank our Title Partner and Official Timekeeper Longines for their long-term commitment to our circuit and also my gratitude to our sponsors and partners here in Šamorín who help to make the show such a success. And finally I wish all our fans an enjoyable event whether you are joining us here in Slovakia or watching on GCTV live streaming.

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longines global champions tour

Explained The 2021 Longines Global Champions Tour kicks off in March with the world’s very best riders competing for a total of €25.9 million in prize money across LGCT and GCL, and the highly prestigious Championship title. As well as the overall ranking battle, athletes will be competing for a place in the highly coveted GC Prague Playoffs, the ultimate showdown for the world’s best, scheduled this year for November at the O2 Arena in the Czech capital city. Here, winners of each LGCT Grand Prix will be invited to compete in the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix, the ultimate head-tohead battle of the season’s best. The 2021 season opens in Doha, Qatar and then travels to 15 further destinations across four continents, culminating in the season Finals where this year’s season champion will be crowned. Show jumping’s top riders team up with their best horses for individual honours in a series of spectacular competitions on the tour, with the LGCT Grand Prix as one of the highlights of each event. To help you keep track of this thrilling series of high octane jumping, here is a brief guide to the format:

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WHO WILL BE COMPETING IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP? The world’s top riders may take part in any of the 15 LGCT events, earning points and competing for a prize pot of over €300,000

HOW DOES THE SCORING WORK? Points are allocated to each of the 35 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 cham-

in each of the LGCT Grand Prix.

pionship ranking and a share of the bonus prize money, which

will be awarded at the season Finals. HOW DOES IT ALL BEGIN? Horses and riders compete in any of the CSI5* supporting classes at each show. This allows horses to acclimatise to each different venue, which ranges from grass to sand surfaces, with different sized arenas and a range of environments, as well as giving

riders the chance to win some serious prize money.

WHAT ABOUT THE LGCT SUPER GRAND PRIX? This is the ultimate showdown in show jumping. Each winner (or next highest ranked athlete if more than one event is won), will qualify for a place in this special class, held at the GC Prague Playoffs. This will see the best horses and riders across the

season return to face off for the ultimate goal of taking the title of LGCT Super Grand Prix Champion.

WHICH RIDERS COMPETE IN THE LGCT GRAND PRIX? The top 35 riders according to their penalties and time qualify from the previous competition, which also doubles as a second GCL leg, held earlier on the Saturday at each event. Jumping in reverse order of merit from the qualifier, horses and riders begin by jumping over a 1.55m/1.60m course of fences. Any combination that completes on a zero score, or tie on penalties if no combination remains clear, goes through to a jump-off against the clock, held over a shortened course, to decide top honours.

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GCL 2021

Explained The 2021 GCL season will see show jumping’s top riders unite in pursuit of championship glory as they battle it out across the world. A total of 16 teams line up for this, the sixth season of the GCL. This tactical series will feature Olympic and world champions going head-to-head, as well as offering some of the world’s leading under-25 riders a chance to compete on the globe stage. The concept is the first top level competition in the sport’s history that allows riders from different nations to compete on the same team, providing a breathtaking spectacle of fierce rivalry and immense team spirit in a modern and dynamic format. The GCL classes take place over two days at each of the global legs of the circuit, running alongside the Longines Global Champions Tour throughout the season. The climax of the year will be the GC Prague Playoffs, as teams battle through the quarter-final, semi-final and final stages of the GCL Super Cup. The countdown is on and here is a brief guide to the format:

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1 2

HOW DOES IT ALL BEGIN? The second part of the GCL competition also doubles as a qualifier for the LGCT Grand Prix. It will be a CSI5* 1.55/1.60m class. This

This stand alone event in November will be the ultimate face-off for the GCL teams. Here teams will go head-to-head in the GCL Super

takes place on Saturdays at every event before the LGCT Grand

Cup in a three-day high stakes knockout competition. The teams

Prix.

ranked 5th - 16th will compete in the first day quarter-finals, with only eight teams carrying through to the next day’s competition -

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

the semi-finals. They will be joined by the top four ranked teams

The second part of the GCL competition also doubles as a qualifier

in the Championship, and battle to finish in the top six, making it

for the LGCT Grand Prix. It will be a CSI5* 1.55/1.60m class. This

through to the final. Here the winning team will be crowned GCL

takes place on Saturdays at every event before the LGCT Grand

Super Cup winners.

Prix. Individual riders, not riding for teams, will be the first to start in this class to try to qualify for the LGCT Grand Prix. Then the GCL teams

the first class. The results of the GCL riders will count towards their overall team score, but now their performance will also determine whether they qualify for the LGCT Grand Prix as individuals.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TRANSFER WINDOW? The transfer windows are at critical points in the season as teams re-evaluate to gain maximum advantage on the road to the GC Prague Playoffs.

will take centre stage, carrying through their combined faults from

SO WHAT ARE THE GC PRAGUE PLAYOFFS?

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2021? This year teams again have a roster of six riders (including at least one U25 athlete) for the season. This means tactics and strategy

The overall winners of the GCL competition will be the team with the

will remain a priority for team managers and owners, with a large

least combined faults and the quickest time over the two rounds.

team of horses and riders to field at each distinctive event. There have been plenty of high profile movers and shakers across the

HOW DOES THE SERIES PROGRESS?

grid, with new allegiances formed and unique partnerships forged

Teams can change horses and/or riders between the two GCL

deeper still, and this season already promises to be an electric

classes as well as fielding different squads for each of the global

showcase of high-octane team sport.

legs in the series. Strategy and inter-team strengths will be crucial as different riders and horses are fielded for particular circumstances. Teams will be able to earn points at every single event, all contributing to their place in the season long Championship ranking, as well as tussle for a top place in the all-important GCL Super Cup at the GC Prague Playoffs.

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Elegance is an attitude Kate Winslet

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The Longines Master Collection 23

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One spectacular global circuit two thrilling championships

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CURRENT 2021

Qualifiers FOR LGCT SUPER GRAND PRIX

NIELS BRUYNSEELS

OLIVIER ROBERT

DOHA

MADRID

PEDER FREDRICSON

BEN MAHER

RAMATUELLE / SAINT TROPEZ

VALKENSWAARD

SCOTT BRASH

SAMEH EL DAHAN

STOCKHOLM

PARIS

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DARRAGH KENNY

SERGIO ALVAREZ

MONACO

BERLIN

JOHN WHITAKER

DANIEL DEUSSER

LONDON

VALKENSWAARD

HARRIE SMOLDERS

MALIN BARYYARD - JOHNSSON

HAMBURG

ROME WEEK I

SAMORIN WEEK I

BRYAN BALSIGER

15 - 17 OCTOBER

ROME WEEK II

SAMORIN WEEK II

21 - 23 OCTOBER

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longines global champions tour

Super Grand Prix the ultimate individual final showdown

Take 15 world-beating riders, teamed up with some of the most

The 15 winners (or highest placed rider if the winner secures a

talented horses on the planet, and pit them against each other

second LGCT Grand Prix win) from the 2021 season will face two

for the ultimate high-stakes showdown in the magical city of

formidable 1.65m tracks, set to test those who have looked on

Prague, Czech Republic, and what do you have? The Longines

phenomenal form throughout the year.

Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix — one of the most With some of the biggest names in the sport set once again to

prestigious and high-octane competitions in history.

go into battle for some of the richest prize money in the sport, All roads on the 2021 Longines Global Champions Tour lead

this dramatic showdown looks set to be a real feast of top notch

ultimately to the GC Prague Playoffs and the O2 Arena in the

sporting action.

Czech capital this November and will provide the ultimate showdown for the individual riders. The 1.25million euro Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix will also provide the perfect complement to the GCL Super Cup on the final weekend of the season, providing a nail-biting closer to this year’s circuit. In a revolutionary new 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 —

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gcl

Super Cup where teams meet for the final face-off

While the rivalry between teams reaches fever pitch this season,

The GCL Super Cup will consist of team quarter-final, a semi-final

the GC Prague Playoffs will provide the perfect platform for

and final rounds. The quarter-final, held over one 1.55m round,

the ultimate battle of the best this November as teams fight for

is open to 12 teams with three riders per team — those placed

supremacy in the coveted GCL Super Cup.

5th to 16th on the GCL overall team standings prior to the GC Prague Playoffs. The best eight placed teams according to the

All through the 2021 season, the 16 GCL teams will be fighting

aggregate time and penalties for each of the three riders then

tooth and nail for every valuable ranking point, collected at

qualify for the semi-final the following day where they will be

each event on the global circuit. The GCL overall classification

joined by the top four teams on the GCL overall team rankings

is based on each team’s points earned at every GCL event and

and each of the three team riders will jump one round over

the top four teams will fast-track their way to the semi-finals of

1.60m. The best six placed team competitions then go head-to-

the GCL Super Cup.

head in the final – held over two different 1.60m rounds against the clock without a jump-off.

This golden ticket will be in the minds of team managers as they choose from their roster of six riders throughout the season,

With 6 million euros on offer for the GCL Super Cup alone,

playing their star strikers strategically across the very different

and the promise of passion, drama and glory - the race to the

events - from expansive grass fields of play such as Mexico

ultimate show down is on.

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.

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The ultimate individual showdown longines global champions tour

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Longines Master Collection the official watch of the longines global champion tour of ŠAMORIN During the Longines Global Champions Tour of Šamorín,

This sophisticated model is distinguished by its elegant appeal

Longines is proud to present this year for the very first time a

and, in particular, a watchmaking complication hidden in its

moon phase model for women from one of its emblematic lines

34 mm case – a moonphase indicator. Fitting a moonphase

known for its watchmaking expertise - The Longines Master

indicator and a date hand at 6 o’clock in a case of this size

Collection. Since the success of the men’s moon phase models

was a real technical challenge made possible with Longines’

of the line introduced two years ago, Longines took on the

longstanding watchmaking expertise. The mechanism is

challenge of fitting a moonphase indicator in a 34 mm case

and skillfully achieved this technical feat while ensuring the

fundamental gains in terms of precision and reliability; the

exquisite expression of elegance of the timepieces for women.

exclusive L899 automatic caliber is fitted with a light and non-

This vivacious blend of technical sophistication and pure

magnetic silicon balance spring that is hard-wearing and

feminine elegance will entice women wishing to pursue both fine

impervious to thermal expansion. This meticulously designed

watchmaking and timeless style.

timepiece is perfectly suited to the wrist of women looking to stand out from the crowd with their strong will and character or

A consummate display of elegance, character and purity, this

simply looking naturally elegant in their everyday lives.

newly introduced timepiece of The Longines Master Collection is both feminine and technical, showcasing the brand’s success of incorporating the aesthetic codes and watchmaking complications into one refined creation . Known for its watchmaking excellence, Longines endows this iconic line with a wide range of exclusive mechanical movements, highlighting the watchmaking tradition that the brand holds dear.

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Timetable LGCT ŠAMORIN

DAY 1 THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2021

Time