By Wasantha Kumara. Updated October 20, 2026.
Quick answer: Global Champions Tour Cairo 2026 runs from 22 to 24 October at the Great Pyramids of Giza. It is the first Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) event in Egypt, with a €1.75 million prize fund. The €1 million Grand Prix starts at 3:30 pm Cairo time on Saturday, 24 October. Belgium's Abdel Saïd arrives as the championship leader on 241 points. You can watch live on GCTV.
The Pyramids host a title race
Global Champions Tour Cairo 2026 is the first time the LGCT has visited Egypt. The CSI5* show jumping event takes place at the Great Pyramids of Giza from 22 to 24 October, with fences up to 1.60 meters. The total prize fund is €1.75 million, and €1 million of that goes to Saturday's Grand Prix.
The main storyline is the title race. Abdel Saïd leads the individual ranking with two stages left, Cairo and the Rabat finals.
Schedule and time zones
Times below are Cairo local time from the organizer's schedule. The other columns are our conversions. Egypt is expected to be on summer time (UTC+3) during the event; the official page labels its times GMT+2. If the organizer corrects the labels, the other columns will move by one hour.
| Day | Class | Cairo | UK | US Eastern | Australia (Sydney, Melbourne) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 22 Oct | GCL Individual, Grand Prix Qualifier | 4:15 pm | 2:15 pm | 9:15 am | 12:15 am Fri |
| Thu 22 Oct | GCL Round 1, team competition | 6:20 pm | 4:20 pm | 11:20 am | 2:20 am Fri |
| Thu 22 Oct | GCL Round 2, team competition | 9:05 pm | 7:05 pm | 2:05 pm | 5:05 am Fri |
| Fri 23 Oct | CSI5* 1.45m, two phases | 4:30 pm | 2:30 pm | 9:30 am | 12:30 am Sat |
| Fri 23 Oct | CSI5* 1.55m, against the clock with jump-off | 7:45 pm | 5:45 pm | 12:45 pm | 3:45 am Sat |
| Sat 24 Oct | CSI5* 1.45m, against the clock, no jump-off | 12:45 pm | 10:45 am | 5:45 am | 8:45 pm Sat |
| Sat 24 Oct | LGCT Grand Prix of Cairo | 3:30 pm | 1:30 pm | 8:30 am | 11:30 pm Sat |
The venue is at Panorama 2, Great Pyramids of Giza. Gates are listed as 5 pm to 10 pm on Thursday and Friday, and 12 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, in the official event guide.
Prize money and format
The three-day programme is a CSI5* event. The Grand Prix carries €1 million and championship points. The Thursday GCL individual class is listed as the Grand Prix qualifier, and the GCL team rounds are held the same evening.
Ticket prices are not currently available. Tickets went on sale on 5 October through the official LGCT site.
Who is riding
The official rider list shows 48 riders from 22 nations, by our count. Belgium has the largest group with seven riders.
| Country | Riders |
|---|---|
| Belgium | Abdel Saïd, Niels Bruynseels, Olivier Philippaerts, Thibault Philippaerts, Pieter Devos, Thibeau Spits, Zoe Hank Conter |
| Germany | Christian Kukuk, Daniel Deusser, Marco Kutscher, Marcus Ehning, Maximilian Weishaupt, Sophie Hinners |
| France | Antoine Ermann, Gregory Cottard, Ines Joly, Jeanne Sadran, Simon Delestre |
| Egypt | Nayel Nassar, Sameh El Dahan, Mouda Zeyada, Ismael Osama El Borai |
| Ireland | Bertram Allen, Cian O'Connor, Deirdre Reilly, Denis Lynch |
| Great Britain | Ben Maher, Jack Whitaker |
The remaining riders come from Austria, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain and Turkey. Max Kühner (AUT), the 2024 LGCT champion, is among them.
Several riders arrive fresh from the world stage. Marcus Ehning, Sophie Hinners, and Daniel Deusser helped Germany win team gold at the FEI World Championships in Aachen in August. Thibeau Spits of Belgium won individual silver there.
Two names in the title race do not appear on the published list: Christian Ahlmann and Katrin Eckermann (both GER). Two-time champion Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) is also missing. Entries can change, so check the official rider page before the Grand Prix.
Key storylines
The title race. Saïd won the Grand Prix of Rome on 11 October with Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z. He cleared a seven-horse jump-off in 35.27 seconds. Pieter Devos (BEL) was second in 35.88 and Lara Tryba (FRA) third in 36.19.
Home riders. Egypt has four riders in the field. The GCL team Cairo Pharaohs competes in its home city. Saïd is described by Equnews as originally Egyptian.
Past Grand Prix winners. Ben Maher is a two-time LGCT champion. Christian Kukuk won the London Grand Prix earlier this season, according to World of Showjumping.
Horse welfare. The organizers announced a project to support horses that work around the Pyramids Plateau. The Egyptian Equestrian Federation leads it, with Brooke and local authorities.
Season so far and what comes next
Rome was the 13th stage of 2026. Cairo is the 14th by that count, although the official event page calls it the 15th. This appears to follow the original calendar, which included Vienna as a "to be confirmed" stop. We could not confirm what happened to Vienna.
| Rank | Rider | Points after Rome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdel Saïd (BEL) | 241 |
| 2 | Christian Ahlmann (GER) | 224 |
| 3 | Katrin Eckermann (GER) | 199 |
Standings are from Horse Network and Italian press reports on the Rome result.
Next on the calendar:
- Rabat, Morocco (finals): 30 October to 1 November
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (GC Playoffs): 18 to 21 November
How to watch
GCTV streams LGCT and GCL classes live and on demand. The official site lists passes from €4.99 a month on an annual plan. Egyptian viewers can also follow on ON Sport, according to an official news headline.
What It Means (analysis)
- Saïd controls the gap, but not the finish. He leads Ahlmann by 17 points and Eckermann by 42. Two stages remain, so the gap is large but not decisive.
- Extra points may be hard to add. Before Rome, a World of Showjumping preview said all of Saïd's counting scores were already on the board. That suggests only results better than his weakest counting score will raise his total. A mid-table finish in Cairo may add little.
- Absences could help the leader. If Ahlmann and Eckermann stay off the start list, they cannot score here. The rest of the field would then need a big result to cut into Saïd's lead.
- Super Grand Prix places may move again. Saïd has already qualified through his Cannes win. In Rome, the extra place went to runner-up Devos. If Saïd wins again, the same pattern may apply.
- Rabat becomes the decider. With Cairo the penultimate leg of the standings, the finals will settle most of the table. Watch how many points the chasers collect on Saturday.
FAQ
When is the Global Champions Tour Cairo 2026 Grand Prix?
It is on Saturday, 24 October, at 3:30 pm Cairo time. That is 1:30 pm in the UK and 8:30 am US Eastern, by our conversion.
How much prize money is there?
The total prize fund is €1.75 million. The Grand Prix offers €1 million.
Who leads the LGCT standings?
Abdel Saïd (BEL) leads with 241 points after Rome. Christian Ahlmann has 224 and Katrin Eckermann has 199.
Where is the event held?
It is held at the Great Pyramids of Giza, Panorama 2, Cairo. This is the first LGCT event in Egypt.
Sources
- LGCT Cairo 2026 event page
- Cairo schedule
- Cairo event guide
- Cairo rider list
- 2026 LGCT calendar
- Tickets announcement, 5 October 2026
- Rome Grand Prix report
- LGCT press release on the prize fund (HorseShowJumping)
- World of Showjumping, Cairo riders
- World of Showjumping, Rome preview
- Equnews, Cairo field
- Horse Network, Rome standings