Category Archives: LGCT Press Release

The Shetland pony Kaiser Franz Joseph comes from the Finkstone stud farm in southern Styria and gets its name thanks to a community vote on the social media channels of the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna. At the foal auction on Saturday, it will be auctioned off for a good cause alongside twelve warmblood foals – the proceeds will go to the Lichtblickhof children's hospice.

From September 24 to 27, 2026, the Longines Global Champions Tour will be held in the Ehrenhof of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. The Spanish Riding School and its Lipizzans will kick off the event. Afterwards, top international riders will compete against each other in high-caliber show jumping events and, for the first time, in a 4* dressage tournament.

Austrian show jumpers Marie-Christine Sebesta and Sally Carina Zwiener posed in creations by young Austrian designers against the backdrop of Schönbrunn Palace, curated by Wolfgang Reichl. Also in attendance was the Lipizzaner mare Stornella – the Spanish Riding School is opening the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna on September 24. The photographs will be published in the new magazine for the tournament.

Around 400 children from 22 school classes in Vienna and Lower Austria will experience horses up close on September 24 at the first Children's Day of the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna | Schloss Schönbrunn in the palace's main courtyard. This inclusive offer is made possible with the support of the City of Vienna and City Councilor Peter Hacker for Social Affairs, Health, and Sports.

As part of the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna (September 24–27, 2026) in front of Schönbrunn Palace, the Westphalian Horse Studbook will present twelve selected foals for the first time. The young horses will be presented on September 26 and auctioned on September 27. A highlight is a colt foal with a particularly striking marking.