MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Fans that were looking to attend the Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach are going to have to wait for just a little bit longer due to inclement weather conditions.
As a Flood Watch continues in Miami-Dade County, with some isolated areas seeing up to 8 inches of rainfall, the arena set up on Miami Beach is battling rising seas and beach erosion, making conditions unsafe for riders, horses and attendees alike.
The world’s premier show jumping series is now scheduled to take place April 14-16, bringing top-ranked equestrian jumping teams from around the world.
The Miami Beach Global Champions Tour is a competition that features more than 200 horses from all over the world.
The annual event has been held on Miami Beach since 2015, but organizers told Local 10 News Wednesday they’ve never had to deal with weather conditions like this.
For the last three weeks, hundreds of workers have been setting up a makeshift arena on the sand with the goal of starting the event on Friday morning.
Crews are being forced to cover up the sand as best they can, as they now scramble to get things ready in the face of the relentless rain.
After several days of downpours and high winds, organizers were left with no choice but to push back the start of the event to Friday, giving staff more time to fix some of the beach erosion that took place near the arena.
Event organizers also announced Wednesday that the event is being shortened to three days.
When asked if there’s a chance it could be scrubbed entirely, one organizer said for now, they’re “choosing not to think about that.”
The Miami Beach Global Champions Tour released the following statement after postponing the event:
“We understand the anticipation and excitement that comes with the event and would like to assure you that our team is working tirelessly with local experts to ensure that everything runs smoothly and is still an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors, participants, and guests for their continued support and understanding. We are confident that with your cooperation, we will overcome any challenges that come our way.”