The world’s top show jumpers will trade the usual arena backdrop for one of history’s most recognisable landmarks when the Longines Global Champions Tour arrives at the Giza pyramids on October 22-24.
The field is expected to include British rider Ben Maher, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and compatriot Scott Brash, who has won two Olympic golds, according to the Egyptian Equestrian Federation.
They will be joined by Germany’s Christian Kukuk, the individual jumping champion at the Paris Olympics, and fellow German Marcus Ehning, a team gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Other decorated riders on the expected lineup include Marco Kutscher, Daniel Deusser, Ireland’s Cian O’Connor, France’s Simon Delestre and Belgium’s Pieter Devos.
The event will bring elite competition to the foot of the pyramids, pairing the speed and precision of show jumping with a setting that has drawn visitors for thousands of years.
Organisers and Egyptian officials are also looking to the competition to showcase the country as a destination for international sporting events and tourism.
The Giza stop is part of the Longines Global Champions Tour, a major international show-jumping circuit.
