Al Shaqab Director Fahad Saad Al Qahtani is seen with LGCT President Jan Tops at a press conference at Al Shaqab.PICTURE: SHAIVAL DALAL
DOHA: The popular Longines Champions Global Tour (LGCT) - a series backed by Prince Albert II of Monaco and James Bond star Roger Moore - will end the 2013 season in Doha next month, this was announced yesterday.
The 13-leg series that draws millions of television viewers will conclude the season between November 21 to 23 in Doha, Al Shaqab Director Fahad Saad Al Qahtani said.
“We are pleased to announce that the Longines Global Champions Tour will stage its final leg of the series at Al Shaqab next month,” Al Qahtani said as LGCT President Jan Tops looked on. “This two-day event will serve two purposes: One, we will assemble the world’s best riders at one place and our own riders will get to see them in action and learn from them,” Al Qahtani said.
“Furthermore, the event will be held at Al Shaqab, a venue that has been designed to cater to the sport of equine. Horse breeding and racing is a tradition in this country. We want to preserve this tradition in the best manner possible and take it forward at the same time,” Al Qahtani added.
Tops, the president and founder of LGCT, said: “We are thrilled to make this announcement. Right now there are nine riders who could win this year’s title. That’s a big number aiming for the title.”
He added: “Coming to Al Shaqab gives us the unique opportunity to take our sport to an audience that has deep roots in horse racing and breeding. We know Doha is the sports hub of the region. Our sport is a wonderful addition to the world-class events held here.”
The year’s series kicked-off in Madrid in May and then moved to Hamburg, Wiesbaden, London, Cannes, Monte-Carlo, Estoril, Chantilly, Valkenswaard, Lausanne, Vienna and Shanghai on its long journey across the globe. Doha will end the 2013 season and Tops can’t wait for the event to start.
“Since I founded the Global Champions Tour in 2006, I have been delighted to see the growth of our sport in terms of participation and audience,” Tops said.
“This popularity continues to increase as new nations step forward to host LGCT and attract the top riders and horse. In turn, this enthusiasm has generated more interest from sponsors and the media,” Tops added.
“The Longines Global Champions Tour made its debut in Madrid, London and Shanghai this year and the series final will be staged at the magnificent, world-class equestrian facility of Al Shaqab. The 2013 season looks set to be a true classic and will once against set the benchmark for top-level show jumping,” he added. THE PENINSULA
