Above: Hardin Towell, second from left, and his Global Champions Tour teammates and Garant, below, the horse he co-owns.
Hardin Towell continued his international tour on the Longines Global Champions Tour in Vienna, Austria, in September, claiming excellent results and now standing 88th with $210,651 in earnings on the 2016 tour.
From September 15-18, Vienna, the “City of Music,” hosted the Longines Global Champions Tour and new Global Champions League for the fifth year in a row. The Austrian capital is a city famous for its imperial culture, architecture, musical history and beautiful palaces.
Hosted in a new venue this year, Trabrennbahn Krieau, the event welcomed top international riders from throughout the world to another jewel in the crown of glittering destinations. Vienna is home to many high-profile organizations, including the United Nations and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The city of Vienna has more than 27 castles and 150 palaces, including Empress Sisi's baroque former summer residence, Schönbrunn Palace. Away from the excitement of the horse show, there are museums, exhibitions, architecture, amusement parks and the famous giant Ferris wheel, Riesenrad.
Hardin Towell and Emilie De Diamant AS
In addition to enjoying the city of Vienna, Hardin enjoyed success in the show ring aboard JKG’s string of mounts. He placed third in the CSI5* 1.50/1.55m Table A with Jump-Off aboard Emilie De Diamant AS, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. The pair jumped double clear and posted a jump-off time of 41.60 seconds, to finish just behind winner Germany’s David Will and Great Britain’s Laura Renwick.
During the event’s highlight Grand Prix, the Vienna CSI5* 1.60m, Hardin and New York jumped double clear in the initial two rounds to qualify for the jump-off. The 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding then finished 11th in the jump-off in a competitive field.
The Longines Global Champions Tour brings together the Top 30 ranked show jumpers in the world to compete in prestigious locations for unprecedented prize money. The15-event Tour offers some of the most explosive and exciting competition of any equestrian series.
The GCT proudly hosts Olympic, World and Continental Champions as they battle fiercely for the title of overall season Champion of Champions 2016 and the lion’s share of the bonus prize fund.
To watch Hardin's fantastic performances, please visit Hardin's gallery on the GCT website.
