In short
Scott Brash and Chadora Lady conquer LGCT Grand Prix Shanghai
The winning pair of last year, Gilles Thomas and Luna van het Dennehof end second
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Twelve months after Gilles Thomas made headlines with his Grand Prix victory in Shanghai, the Belgian rider once again delivered a world-class performance. This time, however, he had to settle for second place—just behind a blazing round from British Olympic champion, Scott Brash, and his exceptional mare Hello Chadora Lady.
In 2024, Thomas made headlines with his win in Shanghai, calling it a “dream come true.” Fast forward to May 2024, and Thomas once again delivered a top performance aboard Luna van het Dennehof (Prince van de Wolfsakker), settling this time for a hard-fought second place.
A total of 16 riders advanced to the jump-off in the prestigious 1.60m LGCT Grand Prix, with six combinations producing double-clear rounds. Brash, riding Paul Schockemöhle’s homebred Hello Chadora Lady, secured the win with a razor-sharp round that shaved just enough time off Thomas’s lead.
“My horse jumped absolutely fantastically,” Brash said after the class.
“I had already decided to leave out a stride to the final fence. I was ready to take that risk because I felt confident. After the third fence, I could feel we were in a good rhythm, so I went all in—tight turns, keeping the pace. Still, crossing the finish line, you’re never quite sure if it’s enough. But it turns out it was,” he smiled.
“Hello Chadora Lady is an incredible mare. She gives everything, has a huge heart, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how she performed this week.”
Gilles Thomas, runner-up this time, remained upbeat despite missing out on a repeat victory.
“Luna is so careful—she jumped amazingly today,” Thomas commented.
“Maybe we didn’t go 100% all-in in the jump-off, but I’m still very happy with second place. Of course, I love to win,” he laughed.
Rounding out the podium was Eduardo Álvarez Aznar of Spain, who rode the experienced Legend (Ogano Sitte), a 14-year-old BWP gelding bred by Jonas Boone.
Just outside the top three was Denmark’s Andreas Schou, finishing fourth with Napoli vh Nederassenthof (President), a 12-year-old BWP gelding. Fifth place went to Switzerland’s Nadja Peter Steiner aboard the 13-year-old Mila (Monte Bellini).
