2021 GC Prague Playoffs Officially Opened
The world’s best show jumping stars declared the 2021 GC Prague Playoffs officially open with current Longines Global Champions Tour Championship winner Peder Fredricson revealing: “Anything can happen this week which is why it is such an interesting format.”
Excitement and anticipation has been building for the third edition of the GC Prague Playoffs, which kicks off tomorrow, Thursday 18 November, with the GCL Super Cup Quarter Finals.
Many of the equine stars of show jumping have already arrived in the Czech capital city, with the horses settled well into their stables ahead of the four-day competition. Big names include Ben Maher’s 2019 LGCT Super Grand Prix winning horse Explosion W, Peder Frdricson’s two-time LGCT Grand Prix winner this season Catch Me Not S, Marcus Ehning’s Stargold, Edwina Tops-Alexander’s Fellow Castlefield, Henrik von Eckermann’s King Edward and Scott Brash’s Hello Jefferson.
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Speaking today in a pre-event press conference to officially launch the event,
Jan Tops, President and Founder of the Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL
said: “Throughout
2021 we have had to make some adjustments right up to a few months before the
events but we were very lucky to have great partners of event organisers who
have been flexible with us and that is one of the reasons we have managed to
pull it off this year. Without this amazing facility and the atmosphere we have
here in Prague, our sponsors like Longines and of course one of the many to
make this happen, the Kellner Family it wouldn’t be possible and we are all
proud to be here.”
Reigning Olympic Champion Peder Fredricson said: “I really enjoy being here, it is a fantastic city and
this is a show we are all looking forward to with the best horses in the world
and against the best riders – for really good prize money so we are very
excited for this weekend.”
GC Prague Playoffs Event Director Jan Andrlik explained: “The success of the first
two GC Prague Playoffs’ means we needed to make this year even bigger and
better for the riders, for the horses and for people coming to the show – it
was a challenge but I really hope we are able to meet this challenge for the
public. We have a brand new set up for the arena with new artists shows as
well, it will be fascinating for all the family.”
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Talking about the anticipation ahead of this week’s event Anna kellnerová said:
“We are going
to be pushing to make it into the Final. As I am a member of the Prague Lions
and a team manager I have to say we have come here to fight. I think it is hard
to say which three teams will be on the podium because we have seen over the
years that even the best teams in the season came into the Prague Playoffs and
performed differently to what we expected. I do think it is open to all the
teams and it completely depends how the teams have prepared physically and
mentally for this.”
Jan Tops added that the atmosphere was second to none, making the vast arena
feel intimate and electric during the competition: “In our sport the Playoffs is something unique, for
the riders, it is what they look for and they build up for. The GCL team
managers want their teams to peak this week, they can make up for the whole
year as they start on zero and there is amazing prize money.”
This afternoon saw a warm up for the international field, giving the
horses a chance to see the arena for the first time this year and flex their
muscles in Prague. Tomorrow’s first CSI5* competition will start at 15:00 local
time with the GCL Super Cup Quarter finals starting at 20:00 local time. All
the action will be streamed live on GCTV.
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The “Midmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
