Three Weeks to Go: Two Decades of Champions Await in Valkenswaard
August 14, 2026In three weeks’ time, the world’s best riders and horses will return to one of the most significant stages in the history of the Longines Global Champions Tour, as Valkenswaard welcomes the Championship from 4–6 September 2026.
The home of Longines Tops International Arena and the birthplace of Global Champions, Valkenswaard has been part of the story from the very beginning. In a year celebrating 20 years of the Longines Global Champions Tour, the return carries particular significance – bringing today’s Championship contenders back to the venue that has witnessed two decades of extraordinary sport.
Few places can tell the story of LGCT quite like Valkenswaard.
Its roll call of LGCT Grand Prix of Valkenswaard winners stretches back to the Tour’s inaugural season, when Leopold van Asten (NED) and VDL Groep Fleche Rouge took victory in 2006. Three years later, Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Cevo Itot du Chateau added their names to the honours list, followed by some of the defining combinations of their eras.
Ludger Beerbaum (GER) and Chaman triumphed in 2012, before Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Codex One took the title in 2014. In 2016, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) and Casall Ask claimed victory, adding another legendary partnership to Valkenswaard’s history.
More recently, Dutch stars have ensured some of the biggest celebrations have belonged to the home crowd. Sanne Thijssen (NED) and Con Quidam RB delivered an iconic victory in 2023, while Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco took the honours in 2025.
Twenty years of champions. Some of the greatest horses of their generations. And this September, another combination will have the opportunity to join them.
From 4–6 September, three days of five-star sport will once again take centre stage at Longines Tops International Arena. Friday sees the pressure intensify in the GCL Championship, with crucial points on the line as the season moves towards its decisive final stages.
Across the weekend, the individual stars of the sport will battle for five-star honours before Sunday’s Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Valkenswaard provides the ultimate test – and the chance to write another name into the venue’s remarkable history.
For spectators, Valkenswaard offers an opportunity to experience Global Champions at its very heart. Longines Tops International Arena was created for the sport at the highest level, bringing fans remarkably close to the action while combining world-class competition with hospitality, entertainment and the unmistakable atmosphere of an LGCT weekend.
As Global Champions celebrates its 20th anniversary, there could be few more fitting places to experience the 2026 Championship.
Three weeks to go. Valkenswaard awaits.
Join us at Longines Tops International Arena from 4–6 September and secure your tickets now.
