Valkenswaard will take centre stage in international show jumping from September 4 to 6, when the Longines Global Champions Tour returns to Longines Tops International Arena for an anniversary edition marking two decades since the series began. The event will bring leading riders and horses together as the 2026 Championship enters a crucial stage.
Longines Global Champions Tour Valkenswaard 2026 will mark the 20th anniversary of the series.
The occasion carries particular weight because Valkenswaard is closely tied to the Tour’s origins. Founded in 2006 by Olympic gold medallist Jan Tops, the series set out to take elite show jumping to leading venues around the world while creating a stronger international platform for the sport.
Two decades later, that ambition has grown into a global competition featuring some of the finest riders and horses in the sport. Yet Valkenswaard remains central to its identity, with Longines Tops International Arena providing the setting for another chapter in the Tour’s history.
The relationship between Valkenswaard and Global Champions goes back to the very beginning.
The first Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Valkenswaard in 2006 was won by Dutch rider Leopold van Asten with VDL Groep Fleche Rouge. That inaugural season also saw Belgian rider Ludo Philippaerts crowned the first Longines Global Champions Tour Champion.
Over the following seasons, the Valkenswaard winners’ list became a record of some of the most recognisable names in show jumping.
Edwina Tops-Alexander and Cevo Itot du Château took the Grand Prix in 2009, followed by Ludger Beerbaum and Chaman in 2012 and Christian Ahlmann and Codex One in 2014. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Casall Ask added another notable chapter in 2016.
More recently, the home crowd celebrated Dutch success when Sanne Thijssen and Con Quidam RB won in 2023. Harrie Smolders and Monaco added their names to the roll of honour in 2025.
Those victories have helped make Valkenswaard more than simply another stop on the calendar. It is a venue where the history of the series can be traced through generations of riders and horses.
The 2026 edition arrives at an important point in the season, with Championship points becoming increasingly valuable as the campaign moves towards its conclusion.
The official programme confirms a CSI5* event alongside CSI2*, CSI1* and young-horse competition from September 4 to 6. The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix will provide the principal individual test, while the Global Champions League will bring its team competition to the arena.
Friday’s schedule will feature the opening team competition, with riders facing the demanding 1.55m level. The Global Champions League programme will place particular emphasis on teamwork and consistency, with each round capable of reshaping the Championship picture.
The weekend will then build towards the Grand Prix, where the leading combinations will face a 1.60m course.
For the riders, the challenge will be more than simply producing clear rounds. Course management, concentration and the ability to cope with pressure will all matter at a venue where the standard has traditionally been exceptionally high.
The growth of Global Champions over the past 20 years has mirrored the changing landscape of international show jumping.
The individual Longines Global Champions Tour has developed into a season-long test involving the world’s leading riders, while the Global Champions League introduced a team dimension to the highest level of the sport.
Broadcasting and digital coverage have also expanded the audience for the discipline, allowing supporters across different countries to follow the Championship and its leading combinations throughout the season.
That international reach is perhaps the clearest indication of how far the original 2006 concept has travelled.
Still, Valkenswaard retains a different character. It is the place where the series’ history, current competition and future ambitions meet.
Longines Global Champions Tour Valkenswaard is therefore not simply another Championship round. It is a return to the setting most closely associated with the Tour’s development.
The anniversary weekend will also provide an opportunity for emerging riders and horses to make their mark alongside established names.
That mixture of experience and youth has long been part of the appeal of the Valkenswaard meeting. The venue has seen established champions add to their records, while less familiar combinations have used the occasion to announce themselves on the international stage.
The 2026 edition is expected to continue that pattern.
With Championship positions still to be decided, every clear round and every time-sensitive decision will carry significance. A strong performance in Valkenswaard could provide an important boost heading into the final stages of the season.
The official event programme also includes young-horse and lower-level international classes, giving the weekend a broader competitive programme beyond the headline CSI5* action.
The anniversary celebration will extend beyond the competition arena.
Longines Tops International Arena is preparing a full weekend experience around the event, with entertainment, hospitality, food and drink, shopping and activities for visitors. The venue describes itself as a world-class equestrian destination in Valkenswaard, designed around international show jumping and the experience of both horse and rider.
That wider setting adds another dimension to an event already carrying considerable sporting importance.
For Global Champions, however, the significance of the weekend is ultimately rooted in its history.
Twenty years after the first season, the Tour will return to the place that has been at the centre of its story. The names may change, new horses will take their place in the arena and another Championship battle will unfold, but Valkenswaard’s connection with Global Champions remains firmly intact.
The next chapter will be written from September 4 to 6, with the sport’s leading combinations returning to a venue that has played host to two decades of international show jumping history.
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