McCourt Global announced today, June 23, that it has acquired a 50 percent interest in Global Champions Tour through McCourt Sports Limited. Global Champions Tour is an international show jumping series with 14 events across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Swiss watchmaker Longines is the title partner and official timekeeper of the Tour.
McCourt Global is an investment firm founded by Frank H. McCourt Jr., and its principle businesses include MG Properties, its real estate investment and development arm, MG Capital and MG Sports & Media. McCourt Sports Limited is a European operating unit of MG Sports & Media.
McCourt Global owned the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006-2012, selling the team for a record $2.15 billion in 2012.
The Global Champions Tour was founded in 2006 by Jan Tops, the four-time Olympic equestrian from the Netherlands and team gold medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Pioneering outdoor equestrian events in the heart of some of the world’s major cities has become the hallmark of the GCT series. This year the Tour includes landmark events in Paris, Shanghai, Antwerp, Belgium, and London, as well as regular stages in Monaco, Doha, Chantilly, France, Vienna, Hamburg, Cannes, France, Estoril, Portugal, Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, Lausanne, Switzerland, and Madrid. In 2014 riders will compete for over 9 million euros (over $12 million), the highest for any series in show jumping.
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“2014 represents a groundbreaking year for Global Champions Tour thanks to exciting new venues such as Paris, Shanghai and London’s Horse Guards Parade Ground close to Buckingham Palace, and a powerful new partner in McCourt Global, an organization that shares my appreciation for the sport and my vision for its future,” said Jan Tops, president of Global Champions Tour. “Working together with McCourt Global, we will innovate to bring our Tour and the sport of show jumping to new audiences, new markets and new heights. We are all very excited by the opportunities that this new partnership with McCourt Global creates.”
“Anyone attending a Global Champions Tour event for the first time is not only awed by the extraordinary venues that host the events, they are also struck by the talent, discipline, and pure athleticism required to compete in this beautiful sport at the highest level,” said Frank McCourt, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of McCourt Global. “The sky is the limit for the sport of show jumping. We look forward to working with Jan and his team to grow the sport for the benefit of all stakeholders, including the riders, the fans and future equestrians the world over.”
The Global Champions Tour show jumping series is officially recognized by the Fédération Equestre Interationale, the governing body of the sport. Since 2006, Global Champions Tour events have been classed as CSI***** events. Additional information on the 2014 Longines Global Champions Tour, including live streaming of each event, results and rankings, rider profiles and videos, can be found at the Global Champions Tour website.
