Valkenswaard, The Netherlands – September 02, 2026 – The stage is set for a spectacular homecoming as a world-class field of international show jumping stars is confirmed for the Longines Global Champions Tour of Valkenswaard, taking place from 4 – 6 September at the Longines Tops International Arena.
As the Longines Global Champions Tour celebrates its landmark 20th anniversary season, the Championship returns home to Valkenswaard this week with an exceptional roster of medallists, championship contenders, Grand Prix winners and rising stars ready to battle it out in the heart of the Netherlands.
With valuable Championship points on the line as the 2026 season enters a crucial phase, the spectacular Longines Tops International Arena will welcome some of the biggest names in international show jumping for three days of top-level sport.
Leading the charge on home soil will be Dutch superstar Harrie Smolders (NED), who returns to Valkenswaard as one of the most successful riders in LGCT history. He will be joined by a formidable contingent of Dutch talent including Maikel van der Vleuten, Sanne Thijssen (NED), Kevin Jochems (NED), Pim Mulder (NED), Mathijs van Asten (NED), Roelof Bril (NED) and Enrico van Manen (NED), giving the home crowd plenty to cheer for throughout the weekend.
The international line-up is equally impressive.
Great Britain’s Scott Brash (GBR), one of the most decorated riders in the history of the Longines Global Champions Tour, heads to Valkenswaard alongside an extraordinary collection of established champions. Germany will be strongly represented by Christian Ahlmann (GER), Daniel Deusser (GER), Philipp Weishaupt (GER), Marco Kutscher (GER), Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER), Sandra Auffarth (GER) and Maximilian Weishaupt (GER).
France brings serious firepower with Simon Delestre (FRA), Jeanne Sadran (FRA), Antoine Ermann (FRA), Olivier Perreau (FRA) and Ines Joly (FRA), while a powerful Belgian contingent includes Pieter Devos (BEL), Niels Bruynseels (BEL), Jérôme Guéry (BEL), Gregory Wathelet (BEL), Olivier Philippaerts (BEL), Gudrun Patteet (BEL) and Zoe Conter (BEL).
Among the other major names confirmed are Austria’s Max Kühner (AUT), Ireland’s Denis Lynch (IRL) and Mark McAuley (IRL), Italy’s Emanuele Camilli (ITA), Spain’s Sérgio Álvarez Moya (ESP), Greece’s Ioli Mytilineou (GRE), Brazil’s Yuri Mansur (BRA), Eduardo Pereira de Menezes (BRA) and Stephan de Freitas Barcha (BRA), and the likes of Abdel Said (BEL) and Bassem Mohammed (QAT).
Two-time LGCT Champion Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) will also return to the arena in Valkenswaard, adding another layer of significance to a weekend celebrating two decades of the Championship.
The field also features a host of riders who have already made their mark on the 2026 season. Katrin Eckermann (GER), winner of the opening LGCT Grand Prix of the season in Miami Beach, is confirmed, as is Victor Bettendorf (LUX), who claimed LGCT Grand Prix glory in Riesenbeck.
They will face fierce competition from the likes of Andreas Schou (DEN), Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli (SWE), Caroline Rehoff Pedersen (DEN), Clara Pezzoli (ITA), Deirdre Reilly (IRL), Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen (NOR), Sara Vingralkova (CZE), Luiz Felipe Neto de Azevedo (BRA), Yali Kass (ISR), Inigo Lopez de la Osa (MON), Oliver Lazarus (RSA), Hasan Senturk (TUR), Anna Kellnerova (CZE), Annelies Vorsselmans (BEL), Zayna Rizvi (USA), Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX), Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Antonia Vita Pinardi (ITA) are among those set to take to the expansive grass arena.
For the world’s best riders and horses, Valkenswaard represents one of the most important stops on the Longines Global Champions Tour calendar. With its state-of-the-art facilities, expansive grass arena and deep connection to the history of Global Champions, the venue provides a fitting backdrop as LGCT celebrates 20 years of world-class show jumping.
From established champions to the next generation of stars, the ingredients are in place for an unforgettable weekend of sport.
The world’s best are heading to Valkenswaard. The countdown is on.
Source: Press Release from the Longines Global Champions Tour
Photos: © LGCT / Stefano Grasso
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Categories: English, Events, Jumper News Nederland
