GALA EVENINGS ON THE ROCK

Following Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and of course Charles Leclerc, other great names in sport will be thrilling the Principality of Monaco. Horsepower under the bonnet will be replaced by horses in the arena with the Longines Global Champions Tour - Jumping International de Monte-Carlo. The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco, which takes place on Saturday at 8.30pm is the highlight of the event, the World number 2, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, Olympic team champion in Tokyo, is one of the great favourites. However, he will have to be wary of his compatriot Malin Baryard Johnsson, winner this year at Saint-Tropez.

Last year's winners, Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and Idalville d'Esprit are hoping for a repeat performance. ‘‘Last year this was an incredible competition for me," said the Irishman. ‘‘We won the GCL and then I went on to win the Grand Prix. So it's very exciting to be returning to Monaco. It's a show I've been coming to for several years and I love the atmosphere. It's a bit of an unusual arena, a bit trickier to ride in. You need a horse that’s really manoeuvrable and that should be the case for me again this year with Volnay du Boisdeville.’’ In an arena that has often been successful for them (3 wins), the Irish contingency will be particularly strong with notably the presence of Denis Lynch, Michael Duffy, Shane Breen (winner in 2018) and Eoin McMahon. Watch out also for Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano (winner in 2016), Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander, the Dutch Maikel van der Vleuten and his father Eric, the Turkey’s Ömer Karaevli and Great Britain’s Lily Attwood, both of them very much in view last weekend in Paris, and the Belgians Pieter Devos, Jos Verlooy and of course Olivier Philippaerts, who probably many dreams of copying his father Ludo, the winner of the first Grand Prix here in 2006.

THE FRENCH OUT IN FORCE!

The French clan will also be putting forwards a very nice line-up with Julien Epaillard, Edward Levy, Simon Delestre, Olivier Robert, Jeanne Sadran and Emeric Georges, all members and entered in one of the 16 teams of the GCL, the only team competition with riders of differing nationalities. All of them will be starting the event with the hope of following in the footsteps of Kevin Staut, victorious at Port Hercules in 2012 with Rêveur de Hurtebise HDC, the only French success at Monaco to date. Ranked 35th in the World, Edward Lévy will be discovering the Monegasque event for the very first time - and with longing.  ‘‘I'm really looking forward to it", he confirmed. ‘‘As the years go by, there are less and less competitions that I haven't done and I am always very excited to discover them. The arena is unusual but the course designers on the Longines Global Champions Tour are always very good and know how to make their courses suit the different arenas. And in Monaco there is always great sport."

THE MONEGASQUES, FULL OF AMBITIONS IN THE CSI2* AND IN THE NATIONAL CLASSES

The CSI 2* and national classes will also offer some exciting sport with some riders already familiar with success at prestigious competitions and others still coming up through the ranks. Monegasque riders will be particularly numerous in the different classes and will be keen to show their ability before the summer’s major European dates. With one common point shared by all: the pleasure and privilege of competing in the same area as the World's best.