Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League have been cancelled for 2020 due to the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision was taken by the organisers due to what they describe as “these exceptional circumstances”. With restrictions on travel varying from country to country, all riders would not have the freedom to compete in the global competition, while the risk of a second wave later this year is also being cited for cancelling the Tour.
Jan Tops, founder and President of LGCT and GCL, said:
“We sincerely thank our event organising partners, our Title Partner Longines, the GCL team owners and our partners around the world for their tremendous support and understanding. None of us could have foreseen the scale of this global emergency and the suffering so many people are going through.
“Our priority must continue to be the health and safety of our fans, our staff, the athletes and their teams and those living in the locations of our events. So it is with great regret we have decided to cancel the remaining shows this year.
“Now we must all pull together to build a positive future after the pandemic, adapting and adjusting to deliver incredible sport in 2021 and beyond.”
The decision to cancel has been welcomed by Neil Moffitt, owner of the London Knights team, winners of the Global Champions League championship for the past two years:
“As a Founding GCL Team Owner this is the right decision as it is more important to maintain the integrity and quality of the League than to try to stage a few shows this year in this extremely challenging and uncertain environment. GCL is not a one-off event, it is a prestigious Championship with knock-out stages like the Champions League in Europe. We look forward to continuing our successful campaign in the seasons ahead.”
The aim is to start the Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League top-level show jumping championship series afresh in 2021.
