The organizers of the inaugural 2013 CDI4* London have announced that the venue of their show has relocated from Kensington to The International Quarter, adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
The CDI4 * is held co-incidingly with the Global Champions Tour on 6 - 9 June 2013. The show will bring world class equestrian sport to the British capital with the full support of Mayor of London Boris Johnson and his Chief of Staff Sir Edward Lister. It will be one of the first international sporting events in the Olympic Park since the London Games and comes only weeks before the site opens fully to the public.
Britain’s Olympic showjumping gold medallists will be competing in the Global Champions Tour event along with the world’s Top 30 riders. Record prize money of around €750,000 will be on offer during the four days of the event.
The high profile international event will be staged next to the world famous Olympic Stadium and other state-of-the-art Olympic venues like the aquatics centre. An application to stage the event at Kensington Gardens was turned down by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The Olympic venue will be a major visitor attraction and a stunning addition to the prestigious Global Champions Tour circuit.
Sir Edward Lister, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of London, said: “I’m delighted that the organisers of the Global Champions Tour have found a new venue in London on The International Quarter, adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, to host this world class international equestrian event. It is vital that the legacy of the London Olympics and Paralympics are delivered across as many sports as possible to allow as many people as possible to continue to enjoy the success generated by all our medal winners last year. This event will help to do just that.”
GCT Founder and President Jan Tops, an Olympic gold medallist, said: “The Global Champions Tour ethos is about bringing top-level showjumping to the most exciting and high profile destinations and to continue to reach a wider audience. This is a fantastic venue for GCT’s debut in London, one of the world’s great capital cities. No-one can forget the incredible atmosphere of the London Olympic Games and we are delighted to be staging world class equestrian sport in this exceptional Olympic venue just a year later.”
A grandstand for 3,000 spectators, paying between £10 and £50, will be erected around the arena with corporate hospitality marquees for 700 people alongside. A shopping village and a giant TV screen will also be available for the public.
Related Links
Windsor to host 2009 European Dressage Championships
Postcards from Windsor: Europeans Kick off Today in Windsor
Davison and Dujardin Shine at 2009 Royal Windsor Horse Show