From November 24 to 26, Abu Dhabi will host the Final of the
Global Champions Tour (GCT) – the world’s richest equestrian event,
carrying a prize purse of US $9.6 million (€7 million) – following
earlier stages in Doha, Valencia, Hamburg, Cannes, Monaco, Estoril,
Chantily, Valenswaard and Rio de Janeiro.
With 90 horses and 48 riders in the 5 star class, the GCT Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be held at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort, featuring extensive indoor and outdoor sand field training areas, fully floodlit polo field and world class stables.
Forty of the world’s top Olympic riders, including future UAE
Olympic hopeful HH Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, make up the
competitor field which reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of equestrianism
including members of ruling and royal families in the Arabian Gulf as
well as European Royalty. The line-up includes Charlotte Casiraghi of
Monaco – fourth in line to the Monaco throne and Honorary President of
Jumping International de Monte-Carlo and Sheikh Ali Al Thani of Qatar.
The GCT Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has total prize money of US $550,252 (€400,000) with US $178,800 (€130,000) going to the first placed in the leg’s 5 star class.
Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander and German Ludger Beerbaum
will battle it out for the top GCT 2011 honours. The remarkable
auxiliary US $1,375,630 (€1 million), to be shared amongst the top 18
ranked riders at the end of the series, will see the highest ranked
taking home a US $412,689 (€300,000) cheque.
Tickets for the event are US $13.6 (AED 50) for adults and US $8.2
(AED 30) for children between 6-10 years old. Children under 6 enter
for free.
Tickets are available online at Time Out Tickets and at the Abu Dhabi Hilton, Hilton Baynounah and Al Forsan International Sports Resort.