Spectators can expect top sport and a very special atmosphere - Unique and optimal conditions are available for horses and riders
What awaits the spectators at the only leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) and Global Champions League (GCL) in Germany, which will take place in the tranquil Münsterland region? Here, the huge grass stadium is surrounded by a centuries-old forest, a historic moated castle is in the immediate vicinity, but everything is a long way from the glamour of a St. Tropez, the cosmopolitan flair of Paris or the hustle and bustle of the English metropolis of London.
"We can't compete with these attributes. And we don't want to," says host Ludger Beerbaum, who laid the foundation for the future of equestrian sport in Riesenbeck eight years ago together with Constantin Freiherr Heereman. What the organizers in Münsterland can offer are: excellent conditions on the various riding arenas and the training grounds, ultra-modern spacious and permanent stables for the horses, modern infrastructure for the teams in the background, a grass stadium with floodlights and an audience that knows something about equestrian sport and can enjoy its fascination.
"When the Longines Global Champions Tour is our guest from July 20 to 23, we will offer world-class sport for spectators who come from an equestrian region. We welcome breeders, riders, equestrian professionals and people who are directly connected to the horse or just want to enjoy the harmony between man and animal," says Show Director Karsten Lütteken. This audience was already a guarantor for the frenetic atmosphere in the stands at the European Show Jumping Championships two years ago. All rides were expertly accompanied, all rides were cheered. No matter which country the riders were competing for. And between the competitions, there was a large gathering of horse people on the show grounds and in the catering area, who talked shop with each other at length.
"Our philosophy and aspiration, following on from the highlights of previous years, is to offer a special show every season, which we put all our efforts into," says the show director. Tournaments are held regularly during the season and in the winter months, but once a year it should become a tradition for the international elite to compete.
Ludger Beerbaum thinks very highly of show jumping as a true team sport and the excitement it generates in the Global Champions League. "We have our own Team Riesenbeck International, which gives everything in the 15 stages from weekend to weekend in order to collect points and - hopefully like last year - to become the overall winner. We are constantly exchanging ideas among ourselves in our team about the best strategy, the selection of horses and riders for the respective stages. "
For the four-time Olympic show jumping champion, the promotion of up-and-coming riders is also an invaluable advantage of the world's most highly endowed series. Example Philipp Schule Topphoff. "This is a class rider who can already easily keep up with the world's best at the age of 25," Ludger Beerbaum enthuses about his youngster in Team Riesenbeck International. "This guy is the envy of many other teams, who are already in the starting blocks when it comes to filling the teams for next year. Then Philipp Schulze Topphoff will be on the market and no longer an U25 rider. He has a very high market value - I would incredibly like to sign him with us."
Beerbaum is sure that the German Championships for U25 riders, which are being held for the first time at the same time in Riesenbeck, will be highly interesting for the team managers of other teams. Scouting", which is more familiar from soccer, is also making its way into modern show jumping!
On Thursday and Friday, the best U-25 riders from Germany will have the chance to compete for the first time in their German Championships on the clay arena. There is no question that one or the other rider is already looking with one eye to their international colleagues in the same age group. Philipp Schulze Topphoff is considered a role model for them. He has already earned a permanent place in the team with great rides.
"It has been our declared goal from the very beginning to offer equestrian sport under the best conditions for the various performance classes and to promote sporting competition," says Ludger Beerbaum. "So it's a wonderful fit when team owners from abroad look with one eye at the side arena and see that there are very good young talents among the U-25 riders."
This also applies to the horse trade. Again and again, new talents catch the eye of the scouts. Last but not least, this applies to breeding: On Saturday evening, there will be a foal auction of the Westphalian Horse Stud Book, where some offspring of the successful stallions from the Beerbaum stable will also be for sale.
Karsten Lütteken is also enthusiastic about the mode of the team competition, the Global Champions League: "There are no simpler rules in any series in show jumping. Each of the 16 teams has a squad of six riders. At each stage, the team bosses select two riders from three present to compete in two rounds. Each ride counts, and horses and riders may be changed after the first round. After round two, faults and time are added up, and the best team gets 30 points for the standings and the highest prize money. At the end of the season, the best team is rewarded with the Global Champions League title."
At the eleventh stage, the home tournament of Team Riesenbeck International, he is counting - comparable to soccer - on full support from the public, which should provide a "home game atmosphere" in Riesenbeck's grass stadium.
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