24/08/2010 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Over fifty show jumpers including many of the World’s top 30 show jumping riders will be arriving in Rio in the next 48 hours to compete for 620’000 Euro in show prize money and to decide who will head the GCT rankings and carry off the winner’s share of the One Million Euro Bonus. Each rider may count their seven best GCT Grand Prix results toward this end and the top prize is just short of a staggering 317’000 Euro. Currently the leader is Marco Kutscher but he is being pressed by Marcus Ehning and Jos Lansink, any of whom could take the title. Edwina Alexander is currently fourth. This is believed to be the biggest single purse ever awarded in the sport of show jumping and means that if a rider wins both the GCT Rankings title and the GCT Grand Prix of Brazil they could walk away with the best part of half a million Euro. World Number One Kevin Staut will be among the riders trying to prevent the current top three walking away with both prizes. The Bonus breakdown is below and the details of the rider list and show classes can be found on the show’s own site at www.aoihs.com. Other relevant information can be found at www.globalchampionstour.com.
GCT Rankings Prize Breakdown
1st = 316 667 Euro
2nd = 190 000 Euro
3rd = 126 667 Euro
4th = 72 833 Euro
5th = 60 167 Euro
6th = 31667 Euro
7th = 31667 Euro
8th = 15833 Euro
9th = 15833 Euro
10th = 15833 Euro
11th = 15833 Euro
12th = 9500 Euro
13th = 9500 Euro
14th = 9500 Euro
15th = 9500 Euro
16th = 6334 Euro
17th = 6333 Euro
18th = 6333 Euro
By Lulu Kyriacou, GCT Press Agent