Rabat will welcome an outstanding international show jumping field as the Longines Global Champions Tour Rabat brings the 2026 regular season to a close from October 30 to November 1. Newly crowned champion Abdel Saïd will headline the three-day competition alongside established international stars Christian Ahlmann, Max Kühner and French rider Simon Delestre, while home favourite Abdelkebir Ouaddar will lead Morocco’s challenge.
Founded by Qatar’s Years of Culture, the event will bring together Olympic medallists, championship contenders and emerging talents in the Moroccan capital. The meeting will form part of the Tour’s landmark 20th anniversary season, with Sunday’s prestigious Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rabat set to provide the central attraction.
Belgium’s Abdel Saïd will arrive following his successful campaign to secure the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour Championship title. With the individual crown already decided, he will have an opportunity to add another Grand Prix victory to his season’s achievements during the final weekend.
Germany’s Christian Ahlmann will be among the leading names looking to finish the campaign strongly. One of the most experienced riders in international show jumping, he will face considerable competition from Austria’s Max Kühner and France’s Simon Delestre, both of whom will add further quality to the field.
Belgium’s Gilles Thomas, Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten and German competitors Marcus Ehning, Philipp Weishaupt and Sophie Hinners will also feature prominently. Hinners will arrive after her LGCT Grand Prix victory in Vienna, while Brazil’s Yuri Mansur will bring further momentum following his triumph in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Valkenswaard.
Longines Global Champions Tour Rabat to Feature Strong Home Challenge
Moroccan riders will have an important role in the competition, with Abdelkebir Ouaddar leading the home contingent before the local supporters. One of Morocco’s most recognised international show jumping competitors, Ouaddar will aim to make a strong impression against some of the sport’s leading names.
He will be joined by Majid Djaidi, Abdelslam Bennani Smires, Ali Al Ahrach and El Ghali Boukaa. Their participation will add a strong local presence to the international competition while highlighting Morocco’s established equestrian heritage.
The depth of the field will extend well beyond the leading championship contenders. Belgium will be represented by Jérôme Guéry, Pieter Devos, Gudrun Patteet, Victor Bettendorf, Nathan Budd and Zoé Hank Conter. Ireland will also have a strong presence through Denis Lynch, Michael Pender, Harry Allen and emerging rider Ciaran Nallon.
Brazilian riders Marlon Zanotelli, Eduardo Pereira de Menezes and Luiz Felipe de Azevedo will join the competition alongside Dutch representatives Jur Vrieling and Pim Mulder. Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano, Germany’s Sandra Auffarth and Philipp Schulze Topphoff, Greece’s Ioli Mytilineou and Mexico’s Carlos Hank Guerreiro will further strengthen the international line-up.
Rabat Grand Prix to Provide Final Route to Verona Super Grand Prix
Although the 2026 individual championship title will already have been decided, Sunday’s Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix will offer riders one final opportunity to secure a prestigious five-star victory during the regular season.
Qualification for the exclusive Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Playoffs in Verona will provide another significant target. Qualified Grand Prix winners will reunite in the Italian city from November 19 to 22, where more than €11 million in prize money will be at stake across the season-ending competitions.
Beyond the sporting programme, the Rabat event will also celebrate the cultural connections between Morocco and Qatar. Founded by Qatar’s Years of Culture, the competition will build on the success of the Qatar–Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, highlighting the shared equestrian heritage of both nations and the role of international sport in bringing communities together.
With Abdel Saïd leading a formidable international field, established championship performers joining emerging talents and Morocco’s leading riders competing on home ground, the Longines Global Champions Tour Rabat will provide a fitting conclusion to the 2026 regular season and the Tour’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
Longines Global Champions Tour Rabat will bring newly crowned champion Abdel Saïd, Christian Ahlmann, Max Kühner and home favourite Abdelkebir Ouaddar together for the 2026 season finale from October 30 to November 1.
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