Equestrian Athletes Moved to Tears After Stellar Performances at Longines Global Champions

Among all the equestrian disciplines, show jumping requires more dexterity than the others. The style, manner, and way the riders guide their equines through the obstacles is something the spectators long to have a glimpse of. Classified into equitation, hunters, and eventing, show jumping has made its way to the national and the Olympic stages simultaneously. But one event has captured more hearts in comparison to others.

The Longines Global Champions Tour is hosted around the world, encompassing 15 competition rounds. In the FEI Jumping World Rankings, only 30 riders compete to cement their names in the Champions Tour history. But one thing that most eyes cannot skip is the heartwarming side of the events which speak volumes of the kind souls contesting.

Equestrian icons don’t root for bland wins

When days and months of practice and bonding culminate in a highly awaited triumph, tears are bound to roll down. It happens to athletes across all sporting avenues. But Longines Global Champions Tour’s official page captured the rider-equine duos who made their marks to win hearts rather than laurels. The post captioned “The emotional highs of this sport are real. Nothing like that winning feeling” was paired with fire emojis.

The video featured Jeanne Sadran and one of her counterparts entering the backstage with their hearts overflowing. Sadran, having started her career at 9 has come a long way with her impressive maneuvers. In the 2023 season, at the GCL of Monaco Round 1 – 1.55m against the clock, she secured the win. Most probably a clip of that day, she lay her head on her horse’s mane and caressed it with love combined with satisfaction.

The event, which attracts fans from all around, has had a stellar 2023. Especially stellar for the show jumping virtuoso Julien Epaillard, whose ‘special win’ still resonates across the equestrian arena. Let’s have a look at the Prague Playoffs of 2023.

Julien Epaillard still tops the list in 2024

With the November 2023 win, Epaillard secured the second Grand Prix title. But the icon didn’t fail to show humility, saying, “It was amazing tonight, it’s a special atmosphere, it’s a special victory for me today. A lot of suspense with my fault, I was not sure if I would stay in the lead, but it was amazing today.”

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Emerging as one of the most decorated show jumpers in history, half of Epaillard’s triumph credits go to his horse Dubai du Cedre. Also termed the super bowl of show jumping, 2021 LGCT Super Grand Prix winners Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward were just a fraction away from the most coveted title. In 2024, LGCT–Doha 2024 starts February 29 with the final event being LGCT–Riyadh 2024 (November 22–24) to end the year.

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