@ Monika Fellner
Vienna, August 16, 2026 – Riding breeches instead of designer dresses: A few weeks before the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna | Schönbrunn Palace, Austria's female show jumpers presented themselves away from the arena. During an exclusive fashion shoot against the backdrop of Schönbrunn Palace, Marie-Christine Sebesta and Sally Carina Zwiener, among others, stood in front of the camera wearing creations by young Austrian designers. The fashion for the shoot was curated by Wolfgang Reichl.
At the end of September, Sebesta and Zwiener will be seen once again in their usual riding attire. From September 24 to 27, both will compete at the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna, when Sonja Klima and Helmut Morbitzer bring the international equestrian elite to the Ehrenhof of Schönbrunn Palace for the second time. During the photo shoot, however, fashion took center stage for a day.
Alongside the female riders, a Lipizzaner mare named Stornella also stood in front of the camera. This already provides another connection to the September program within the shoot: The Spanish Riding School will open the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna on Thursday, September 24, with a performance, thereby setting a special Austrian accent for the kick-off of the four-day event.
„The Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna naturally represents equestrian sports at the highest level. But a place like Schönbrunn Palace opens up the opportunity for us to think of the tournament on a grander scale. For me, the exclusive fashion shoot with Wolfgang Reichl, our female riders, and creations by Austrian designers is just as much a part of it as culture, culinary arts, and social gatherings. This creates an event surrounding the sport that offers many facets and brings different people together“said co-organizer Sonja Klima.
The photographs taken during the shoot will become part of a new magazine for the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna, scheduled to be published for the first time in September. In addition to equestrian sports, it is dedicated to personalities and stories from business, society, culture, and lifestyle, and provides insights behind the scenes of the event.
For Sonja Klima and co-organizer Helmut Morbitzer, this connection is part of the concept for the Vienna tour stop. International elite sports form the centerpiece, while the historic backdrop of Schönbrunn Palace simultaneously creates the framework for an event that extends far beyond the course.
Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna | Schönbrunn Palace
September 24-27, 2026
For enquiries, please contact:
Julia Kent +43 664 246 90 55 | julia@komma4.at
Image index
Riders as models in front of Schönbrunn Palace.
The reproduction of the image for press purposes is free of charge, provided the copyright „Andreas Tischler“ is cited.
Sonja Klima and female riders at the photoshoot
The reproduction of the image for press purposes is permitted provided the copyright „Monika Fellner“free of charge.
© Andreas Tischler