April 27, 2006 – Top sport, royalty and lots of sun: the inaugural Riviera Tour will be held in May and July – a sequence of four top-class show jumping events within five weeks on selected locations of the Côte d’Azur. The kick-off will be the Saint-Tropez International Horse Show from May 26 to 28 (CSI***) and June 3 to 5 (CSI**). In preparation, the exclusive Saint-Tropez Polo Club is investing in 200,000 Euros worth of new sand footing. The series then continues with two legs of the Global Champions Tour, CSI Cannes from June 8 to 11 and, following a week's break, Jumping International de Monte-Carlo from June 22 to 24 under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II.

The organizers, Diane Fissore-Wathelet and Jan Tops of Tops Sport & Business, have long-term plans for the Côte d’Azur - the contracts with Saint-Tropez and Monaco were written for ten years! The overall prize money of this year's Riviera Tour will be 800,000 Euros and many of show jumping's leading ladies, including Jessica Kürten (IRL), Edwina Alexander (AUS), Samantha McIntosh (BUL), Christina Liebherr (SUI) and Athina Onassis de Miranda (GRE) will ensure lots of 'girl-power' at the Côte d’Azur. And from the U.S. a whole delegation of top-ranked female competitors will take part, among them Georgina Bloomberg, Laura Kraut, Lauren Hough, Candice King and Kimberly Prince. Approximately 250 horses are expected at each show.

Through the listed Swedish bookmaker UNIBET, it will be possible to bet on the Grand Prix results during the entire Riviera Tour. Part of the proceeds will be credited to the prize money for the riders, meaning that higher wagers will result in higher prize money in the future.

Another good cause will be kept in mind during the Riviera Tour: on the occasion of Jumping International de Monte-Carlo the JustWorld International Charity Gala, Presented by CN, will take place on Thursday, June 22, in the Monaco Beach Hotel.

For further information, please contact:

Tops Sport Business
Maastrichterweg 245, NL-5556VB Valkenswaard, The Netherlands
Tel:  011 31 40-206-8400, Fax: 011 31 40-206-8450
E-mail: info@topssportbusiness.com

www.sainttropezhorseshow.com
www.monacohorseshow.com
www.globalchampionstour.com
www.justworldinternational.org
www.unibet.com