This was no ordinary night. Big-name riders brought their A-team horses for a reason: Monaco is where championships turn, and titles begin to crystallise. Under the floodlights and with the Mediterranean breeze swirling through the arena, Valkenswaard United sealed their fifth podium of the season - and an incredible third win - with a flawless Round 2 performance. Gilles Thomas and the electric Qalista DN, paired with Lorenzo de Luca aboard Jappeloup, delivered two ice-cool clears that sealed the win and rocketed them into the lead of the 2025 GCL Championship standings as S.A.R La Princesse Caroline de Hanovre awarded them the trophy.

Back in the winners armbands, Lorenzo and Gilles for Valkenswaard United couldn’t hide their smiles. Gilles said, “It really is an extra plus after a great night. We were here to be on the podium, so to take the win and the armband back, we couldn’t wish for a better result. ”

Hot on their heels were Basel Cosmopolitans, whose determined effort kept the pressure high until the final fence. Andreas Schou and Napoli VH Nederassenthof produced a gutsy round in the second phase, while Zascha Nygaard Lill and her uber-consistent Primavera delivered yet another double clear, securing second place by the slimmest of margins - just three penalties separating them from the top step.

“Finally” explained a beaming Andreas Schou, he added “we had a lot of good rounds this season, but somehow it just didn’t quite come together with the right results but today was just perfect. Zascha once again delivered like she did in Paris, my horse jumped well, Michael’s did too, and we couldn’t be more happy with the results.”


Stockholm Hearts powered by H&M We Love Horses completed the podium after a rollercoaster evening. Jane Richard and Molly Malone Z posted one of the only double clears of the entire night, while Olivier Philippaerts kept their hopes alive with a fighting finish aboard Dixie Moon, despite two rails falling. The team’s resilience paid off, and they stood proudly in third.

A relieved Olivier said, “we’ve had a tough season this year, so to finish in third place is a great result. I felt as though first could’ve been ours but no matter what, Jane did fantastic tonight with the double clear.”

Against the dazzling backdrop of Monaco’s iconic harbour, the GCL once again delivered a blockbuster performance. The smallest arena on tour demands total harmony between horse and rider - where centimetres count and split-second decisions make or break the result. Fans packed the grandstands and lined the glittering edge of Port Hercule, creating an electric atmosphere that pulsed with anticipation from the first bell to the last.

With the mid-season transfer window just around the corner, every result in Monaco carried added weight. Many team managers were already deep in strategy talks behind the scenes, knowing Monaco was the final opportunity to gain ground - or solidify dominance - before potential reshuffles.