The championship battle hots up for the Paris Grand Prix

Today’s Grand Prix will see a showdown for the championship ranking with Luciana Diniz battling to face down a determined challenge from World No1 Scott Brash.

The 8th Grand Prix of the 2015 Longines Global Champions Tour season will see six of the world’s Top 10 riders competing on the breathtaking stage of the Champs de Mars next to the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris. With €320,000 in prize money and 40 valuable ranking points to the winner, the race for the championship will hot up in more ways than one this evening as the heatwave continues across Europe.

Tension will be high for the Longines Global Champions Tour – Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping event later today with Luciana (POR) only 36 points ahead of Great Britain’s Scott Brash. Scott will be riding his Olympic gold medal winning horse Hello Sanctos and will be watched by the horse’s owners Lord and Lady Harris and Lord and Lady Kirkham. Scott has the chance to not just close the gap but to overtake Luciana, who is riding Fit for Fun, if he can finish first or second in the Grand Prix – and if Luciana not does win through to the second round.

The high stakes 1.60m competition will be played out in front of enthusiastic crowds in the grandstand and in the park of the Champ de Mars where a giant TV screen will broadcast the action to the public. High profile guests have included golf champion and former World No1 Lee Westwood who enjoyed a round of golf with show jumping World No1 Scott Brash yesterday and described the Longines Global Champions Tour event in Paris as “very special”. It is also a chance for top riders Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (SWE) riding Casall ASK and Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani of Qatar on First Devision, currently in 3rd and 4th place on the overall championship ranking, after consistently strong performances this season. Hans-Dieter Dreher and Christian Ahlmann of Germany are close behind on the ranking and will be formidable opponents.

Earlier today Lauren Hough (USA) won the CSI5* Prix Renault Kadjar with her bay mare Royalty Des Isles – a perfect celebration for the 4th July.

Join us live on GCT TV for the Grand Prix, starting at 17:15 local time.

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www.pariseiffeljumping.com
www.globalchampionstour.com

Source: Press release LGCT