Release date: 10/08/2011 |    

Show jumping will be returning to Valkenswaard in The Netherlands for the second weekend of top class competitions with the highlight event being the 8th leg of the Global Champions Tour.

Last year’s winner of the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Valkenswaard, American Laura Kraut, has accepted the invitation to ride as have 27 of the 30 top world riders.

Stakes are high with only three events to go in the series of ten events for 2011. This weekend will be pivotal for all of the top GCT ranked riders as they jockey for positioning on the GCT ranking list.

One million additional euros will be divided between the top 18 riders at the conclusion of the series. The final leg of the 2011 tour will be held at the Al Forsan International Sports Arena in Abu Dhabi from 24-26th November.

Australian Edwina Alexander (pictured above) moved to the top of the Global Champions Tour Ranking after the previous Global Champions Tour event in Chantilly. She lays with 195 points just ahead of German rider Ludger Beerbaum (186.50) and Portugese rider Luciana Diniz (185.00).

With riders able to count the best seven scores across the series the pressure is on to ensure the best performances are put in.

“I would really like to do well in the last three GCT events,” stated Edwina. “As only seven scores count towards the final ranking I would like those seven of mine to be strong ones. There is still a lot of pressure because anything can happen. Look what occurred last year heading into the final event in Rio de Janeiro, with Marco Kutcher being in the lead on the ranking. Winning the title came down to the just one second in the jump-off with Marcus Ehning winning the series ahead of Marco.”

FULL LIST of 5* accepted riders

Photo credit: Stefano Grasso/GCT