With just four events remaining in the 2021 Longines Global Champions Tour season, the gladiatorial greats of show jumping will lock horns at the breathtaking Longines Global Champions Tour of Rome this weekend.
As the championship pressure intensifies and the anticipation mounting, eight out of the top ten ranked riders will battle it out for top honours in the brand new location of ancient Rome’s awe-inspiring Circus Maximus bringing horses back to the World Heritage site for the first time in over 2,000 years.
Leading the pack and in prime position to claim her third LGCT title is Edwina Tops-Alexander, the top Australian rider on 214 points looking to extend her 13 point lead on Olivier Robert. Another danger to add to the fray will be Peder Fredricson the Swedish rider within touching distance of the lead with his tally of 189 points. Close behind him is Sergio Alvarez Moya on 188 points and Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Maher with 186 points, the experienced rider who knows what it takes to be on the podium in Rome.
There will be a legion of top riders heading to the magnificent ancient stadium, once used by Emperors for horse and chariot races this week, including home heroes Alberto Zorzi and Emanuele Gaudiano. The event – which is free to the public – will see top international contenders including Malin Baryard-Jhnsson, Christian Ahlmann, Maikel van der Vleuten, Marlon Zanotelli, Jos Verlooy, Harrie Smolders, Penelope Leprevost, Eve Jobs, Olivier Philippaerts, Dani G. Waldman and Shane Breen.
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.
The Longines Global Champions Tour of Rome will be staged at the impressive Circus Maximus which sits beneath the famous Palatine Hill and is overlooked by the extraordinary ruins of the Imperial Palace. It is one of the most exceptional arenas for show jumping in the world today and is only one kilometre from the Colosseum where the gladiatorial games took place.
Next station of the Longines Global Champions Tour: Rome Photo: LGCT