LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL 2026 present first top names

The organizers of the LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL have announced the first participants for the World Cup equestrian tournament, which will take place from January 8 to 11, 2026, in Basel. Among them are the “Queen of Dressage” as well as, from Switzerland, an Olympic champion and a winner from Aachen. In the show section, magician Peter Marvey will enchant the arena with his legendary “flying carriage.” Tickets are now available.

Following the highly successful LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL in January and the impressive World Cup Final in April, the bar for the 2026 event in Basel has been raised even higher. The goal remains unchanged: to offer loyal audiences equestrian sport and entertainment at the highest international level.

With a total prize purse of one million Swiss francs, the LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL are among the leading indoor equestrian events worldwide. Despite fierce competition—alongside the traditional 13-week Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, USA, and the newly launched Al Shaqab Tour in Doha—Basel is again expecting around 75 top-ranked riders and over 200 horses.

Basel will maintain its successful sports program featuring the well-known 5-star show jumping and dressage competitions. A key focus continues to be the promotion of young talent: under the CSIU25 program, 30 up-and-coming riders will have the opportunity to compete in three show jumping tests. Due to the packed schedule, there will no longer be 3-star dressage competitions.

Prominent names already confirmed
Isabell Werth (GER), seven-time Olympic champion and multiple world and European champion, has confirmed her participation. With over 30 gold medals at international championships, Basel’s equestrian fans can look forward to seeing the “Queen of Dressage” in action.

Show jumping will also feature a first-class lineup. French rider Julien Épaillard (No. 10 in the LONGINES World Ranking), winner of the CHI show jumping event in January with Donatello d’Auge and of the World Cup Final 2025 in Basel, will return. Martin Fuchs (No. 27) will also delight the audience: the 33-year-old won the Grand Prix of Aachen on July 6, 2025, becoming the first Swiss since Markus Fuchs in 2004 to achieve this prestigious victory.

Steve Guerdat (No. 13), 2012 Olympic champion, three-time World Cup winner, and another major figure in Swiss equestrian sport, will show his skills in Basel. Also expected are Yuri Mansur (No. 53, BRA), double winner of the Championship of the City of Basel for the Golden Drum, and Andreas Schou (DEN), third-placed in the overall ranking of the 2025 Global Champions Tour. The full participant list will be published on December 9.

Numerous other world-class athletes will compete in Basel, including Belgian riders Gilles Thomas (No. 5), Nicola Philippaerts (No. 14), and Grégory Wathelet (No. 15); French riders Simon Delestre (No. 18) and Kevin Staut (No. 24); British rider Ben Maher (No. 3); and Germans Marcus Ehning (No. 40) and Hans-Dieter Dreher (No. 30). Spectators can therefore expect an international lineup of the highest caliber.

Swiss Equestrian Talents
As part of the youth development program Swiss Equestrian Talents (SET), Swiss Equestrian will again hold its annual team day in Basel in 2026. Around 40 young talents in the disciplines of show jumping, dressage, and eventing will participate in an extensive training and education program during the LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL.

Securing the future
The LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL continue to plan with a long-term perspective and are pleased to have already secured the commitment of key partners for the next three years. These include Range Rover, Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, Gerüstbau Nordwest, Zollagentur Krafft, and media partner CH Media. Several service contracts have also been renewed, along with the agreement with St. Jakobshalle through 2031.

At the sporting level, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ has been confirmed by the International Federation (FEI) through 2028, and the FEI Dressage World Cup™ through 2027.

Further information

• All competitions at the LONGINES CHI CLASSICS BASEL will be broadcast live by Clip My Horse. The LONGINES Grand Prix on Friday evening will air live on TV25, and the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ competition on Sunday will be shown on SRF.
• Tickets available here: https://www.chi-classics-basel.com/zuschauer/ticketing/