Longines Global Champions Tour has announced a new partnership with McCourt Global as the world’s premier show jumping series continues its expansion.

Jan Tops, president of the Tour, and Frank McCourt, chairman and CEO of McCourt Global and former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, will work together to bring top-level show jumping to new audiences and new markets. The 2014 Longines Global Champions Tour season has grown with new landmark events, including Shanghai, China.

Jan Tops said: “2014 represents a ground-breaking year for Global Champions Tour thanks to exciting new venues such as Paris, Shanghai, and London’s Horse Guards Parade Ground close to Buckingham Palace, and a powerful new partner in McCourt Global, an organization that shares my appreciation for the sport and my vision for its future.

“Working together with McCourt Global, we will innovate to bring our Tour and the sport of show jumping to new audiences, new markets, and new heights. We are all very excited by the opportunities that this new partnership with McCourt Global creates.”

“Anyone attending a Global Champions Tour event for the first time is not only awed by the extraordinary venues that host the events, they are also struck by the talent, discipline, and pure athleticism required to compete in this beautiful sport at the highest level,” said Frank H. McCourt, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of McCourt Global. “The sky is the limit for the sport of show jumping. We look forward to working with Jan and his team to grow the sport for the benefit of all stakeholders, including the riders, the fans, and future equestrians the world over.”

The Global Champions Tour show jumping series is officially recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), the governing body of the sport.