Release date: 26/08/2010 |    

The Global Champions Tour has finally arrived in Rio de Janeiro for it's ninth and last round of 2010. Tonight the riders are getting their first taste of the arena with a non competitive training class and the action begins in earnest tomorrow at 4.00pm local time. Here are a few facts and figures:

• It takes approximately 700 staff to organise and run the show, when you include the officials, arena parties, shuttle drivers, office staff, maintenance crew and stewards.

• The show ground takes over a month to be erected and prepared.

• The specially prepared main arena is 50m by 70m.

• 15'000 people attended the event last year.

• This is the only GCT show which features a cash prize for the groom of the leading rider.

• It took eleven cargo flights to transport all the horses, five of them departing from Frankfurt, Germany.

In other news, the GCT is very pleased to announce that our official time keeper and partner Jaeger-LeCoultre, the world renowned Swiss watchmaker, will be presenting one of their hand assembled timepieces as part of the prizes this weekend.

The Athina Onassis International Horse Show, which hosts the GCT, is presented this year by Oi Telecommunications, a Rio based company which is the biggest in Brazil and the second largest in Latin America. The show is delighted to welcome this new sponsor and also the return of other partners, Coca Cola, Bradesco Private Bank, Pamcary, BR Petrobus, Gerdau and both the Governers Office and the City Council. Please check on the show website for links to all these companies at www.aoihs.com.