Jaeger-LeCoultre - International Concours Valkenswaard
Between August, 13-15, horses, riders and the audience gathered in Valkenswaard, Holland at Stal Tops. This was the 8th competition of the Global Champions Tour (GCT) and the third show this year in which the GCT and Jaeger-LeCoultre joined forces.
On Saturday, Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO, Jerôme Lambert, presented the winner of the GCT Grand Prix of the Netherlands with a specially engraved Reverso Grande Taille. America's Olympic Gold Medallist Laura Kraut earned this award with the help of her great equine partner "Cedric".
The GCT has been created by Jan Tops, a former championship rider and gold medallist, with Athina Onassis de Miranda as patroness of the Tour.
This competition devised a series in which the world's top 30 ranked riders are invited to jump in nine shows at some of the most beautiful venues, such as Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), Cannes (France), Monaco, Estoril (Portugal), Hamburg (Germany) and Valencia (Spain). In 2010, Chantilly (France) and Turin (Italy) were added to the roster. All of these events are designated as 5***** by the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) which means championship level sport. The action and the power of equestrian athletes competing over fences up to 1.60m in height draws huge crowds wherever it goes (for example 30,000 in Valkenswaard).
As well as the horse-loving public, the glitterati attend in droves, and some of them even compete. This weekend, HRH Prince Albert of Monaco attended the event to watch his niece, Princess Charlotte Casiraghi riding. Both Charlotte and tennis superstar Martina Hingis were involved in the GCT Special Invitational competition for amateur riders that is run alongside the main event.
The Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre has been involved in Polo since 1931.