Global Champions Tour 2006

A victory for American Olympian Norman Dello Joio officially opened the eagerly anticipated Global Champions Tour on Sunday, March 5, in Wellington, Florida.

The Global Champions Tour, sponsored by CN WorldWide, is an innovative new show jumping series that links together six of the most prestigious competitions in the world. The first of those six events was CSI5* Wellington, and 61 of the best known show jumping athletes in the world gathered to contest the 150,000 CN WorldWide Florida Open Grand Prix, Presented by Cosequin.

As will be the case in all of the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix events, 18 riders advanced to the second round, creating the perfect package for television broadcast.

The Global Champions Tour sees the top two riders in the Grand Prix automatically qualify for the next leg of the Tour, which will take place at CSI5* Cannes, FRA, from June 8-11. From there, the tour moves to Monte Carlo, MON, Estoril, POR, Valkenswaard, NED, and finally Lanaken, BEL, from September 15-17.

The prize money at all six events totals 2.5 million Euros, with .6 million in cash bonuses awarded to the top eight finishers in the overall standings.

Duarte Guedes, organizer of the CSI5* Estoril, was on hand to witness the Global Champions Tour kick off. “I am really impressed by the beautiful atmosphere of Wellington, I had heard a
lot about it but never imagined that it would be so great. I am very proud that Estoril was chosen to be a part of this Tour, because it means we are considered to be among the top events of the world.”