There is already a sense of anticipation surrounding the Schönbrunn Palace arena as Vienna prepares to welcome the Longines Global Champions Tour of Vienna 2025 for the very first time. Trainers, riders, and fans alike are looking ahead to a weekend where the world’s best will converge against the baroque splendour of one of Europe’s most iconic landmarks. Stage 13 of the Championship promises to transform the palace grounds into a stage where elegance meets sporting intensity, with every stride and every fence carrying weight.
Championship race at Schönbrunn Palace
The Longines Global Champions Tour of Vienna 2025 has attracted one of the most decorated fields of the season, bringing past champions and rising stars together in Austria. Fellow double Grand Prix winner Harrie Smolders brings Monaco, the horse that carried him to Cannes and Valkenswaard triumphs earlier this season. Max Kühner, the 2024 titleholder, rides before his home fans with Elektric Blue P, while Germany fields a powerful team led by Philipp Weishaupt, Christian Kukuk, and Hans-Dieter Dreher. Kukuk, fresh from his London Grand Prix success with Checker 47, is tipped as a leading contender.
Sweden’s Peder Fredricson, Henrik von Eckermann, and Malin Baryard-Johnsson bring formidable firepower. Von Eckermann, also a past LGCT Super Grand Prix winner, partners Calizi and Qasirah van de Reistenhoek. Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs returns with Conner Jei, while Belgium answers with Pieter Devos on Jarina J and Primo DV, supported by Zoe Conter. France’s Simon Delestre, Gregory Cottard, and Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf — last year’s Super Grand Prix winner in Riyadh — add further depth. Ireland’s Bertram Allen completes a field stacked with international quality.
Also competing are Edwina Tops-Alexander, a two-time Champion and inaugural Super Grand Prix winner, who brings Fellow Castlefield and Caetlin vd Heffinck Z. Italy’s Emanuele Camilli, already successful in Mexico City this year, adds Italian style, while strong entries arrive from Spain, Portugal, and Brazil through Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, Duarte Seabra, Marlon Zanotelli, and Eduardo Menezes.
With so many former champions and Grand Prix winners converging, Vienna is set for one of the most competitive stages of the season. Every fence could shape the standings as the countdown to the LGCT Finals intensifies.
Schönbrunn Palace, long a symbol of European heritage, will this weekend echo to the rhythm of hooves and the cheers of the crowd. Against this majestic backdrop, equestrian sport writes a new chapter in Vienna as Longines Global Champions Tour of Vienna 2025
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