It’s like Federer and Nadal, or Messi and CR7 in their best form. The global supershow Prague Playoffs is heading to Prague, which from Thursday to Sunday will show the fans show jumping sport in elite condition, brilliant bravura and tension that forces the audience to exhale loudly. “The experience is probably indescribable for me. The best horses, the best riders in the world will come together,” sums up representative Filip Doležal.

After four years, he will reappear on the dream floor of Prague’s O2 arena. Filip Doležal is among the three Czech drivers with a wild card and will participate in three prestigious CSI five-star races. With his 11-year-old gelding Coup de Coeur GP, Madame Z will try top competitions that he could normally only watch.

“When you see it live, you notice a lot of things. It’s a different view, you see how the best riders ride, how they prepare their horses in the workplace. They are good at what they do. They stay there, they have sponsors, they stay in circulation for a few years. They have worked their way up to a certain point, and they stay there,” says Doležal.

The Prague Playoffs are held in Prague as the pinnacle of the Global Champions League for the fourth time, and among the cream of the sport, big money and quiet elegance have already created an iconic reputation. Both due to the level of the parkours themselves and the exciting format, and thanks to the tuning of the audience.

“Prague is a very special place. There is no other event where the spectators saw so many exciting rides, but also a light show and another interesting program,” says Austrian Max Kühner. “It’s a great introduction to our sport to the public and the media.”

Kühner belongs to the elite. V will fight for an individual triumph in the Super Grand Prix in Prague, and he also has a great chance with his Shanghai Swans team in the team Super Cup. In it, the Swans have certain Friday sisters, similar to the home team Prague Lions with rider and manager Anna Kellner. The program begins with Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Kellner is saving her star filly, Catch Me If You Can Old, for the team competition, and on Thursday she will show with Doležal, Aleš Opatrný and Vladimír Tretera in the CSI5* race.

“I’ll take Joyrid there, who could jump into frame competitions and gain experience,” explains Kellner.

The best riders like Kühner, Olympic champion Ben Maher or the current world champion and world number one Henrik von Eckermann can strategize and prepare their best horse for the most important races of the weekend.

“You need a good horse that the rider trains himself from a young age, or that he gets through a sponsor. But the rider must also ride well. It always has to be two,” explains Doležal. “Each horse has a different canter, reacts differently to the rider’s hand. We need to know our horse in detail, know its faults. The more you know him, the more you know what to watch out for.”

PRAGUE PLAYOFFS 2022

THURSDAY

14.00 Opening of the O2 arena

15:00 race E15 CSI5* (145 cm)

17.40 Show: LORENZO

17.45 Henrik von Eckermann and Ben Maher autograph signing

18.10 Art show

18.30 Opening ceremony of GCL

GCL SUPER CUP – Global Champions League

QUARTERFINALS

20.00 race Air Bank CSI5* (160 cm)