News

16 March 2021

Tournament 2021 with or without spectators

The Longines CSIO St. Gallen is to take place as planned from 3 to 6 June 2021 in the Gründenmoos stadium. Hopefully with, if not otherwise possible, without spectators. As usual as a five-star tournament, but without an entertainment programme due to the pandemic.

Nayla Stössel, OC President of the Longines CSIO St. Gallen, explains: "We have been planning various scenarios since last summer. We are doing everything we can to be able to hold the event at the beginning of June. After last year's cancellation, we definitely want to give the athletes an opportunity to compete at the highest level before the Olympic Games in Tokyo. With as many spectators as we will be allowed by then. We have worked out the necessary protective measures down to the last detail. But if necessary, we can also do it without an audience." She continues: "It's a real challenge for us that we still don't have any planning certainty three months before the tournament. We owe it to our extremely loyal partners, first and foremost our title sponsor Longines, and the excellent cooperation with the international and national federation as well as the city and canton of St. Gallen that we can still believe in holding the event at all. The only thing that can stop us this year is an event ban imposed either because of Corona or the Equine Herpes Virus."

The staging of the event would be in the interest of Chef d'Equipe Michel Sorg: "So shortly before the title competitions, every opportunity to compete at the top level is extremely important for us. Our Swiss equestrian stars would be only too happy to prove their form in St. Gallen and force their way into the Olympic Games and the European Championships. Hopefully with the loud support of the home crowd!"