Recently Greek rider Ioli Mytilineou recently stole the spotlight at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) Grand Prix of Madrid on Sunday, securing her first-ever CSI5* Grand Prix victory in dominant fashion. “It’s incredible,” Mytilineou said after the win. “There was no point in going in and trying to be just a nice clear. I thought, I’ll risk it all and hopefully land on the podium. I didn’t think I’d be first—so to win is just incredible.”
The 27-year-old, riding her longtime partner L’Artiste de Toxandra, blazed through the jump-off in a time of 34.00 seconds—nearly two seconds faster than her closest rivals. Her performance not only stunned the crowd at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid but also bested a world-class field, including reigning Olympic and World Champions.
From Underdog to Breakout Star
Earlier in the week, Mytilineou had joked with GCTV’s Marc Lewis that he wouldn't see her at the end of the LGCT Grand Prix. Few would have predicted otherwise, especially with heavyweights like World No. 1 Kent Farrington (USA), Pieter Devos (BEL), and Olympic Champion Christian Kukuk (GER) in the mix.
But Mytilineou delivered the round of her career, leaving Marco Kutscher (GER) and Aventador S in second (35.98 seconds), Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) with Elysium in third (36.12), and Devos fourth (36.40).
The rest of the field struggled: Farrington pulled two rails with Greya, Cian O’Connor (IRL) knocked a pole on Bentley de Sury, and Kukuk had a dramatic fall when his mount over-jumped the joker fence.
A Historic Win
That Sunday’s triumph marked not just a personal milestone but a moment of history for Greek show jumping. Mytilineou, who debuted at the Paris 2024 Olympics as an individual competitor, follows in the footsteps of her mother, Hannah Roberson-Mytilinaiou, the last Greek rider to appear in Olympic competition at Athens 2004.
Her Madrid win secures her a spot at the season-ending LGCT Super Grand Prix in Prague, a destination she’s already targeting.
“Prague is an unbelievable venue,” she said. “Now I’m going to plan my season around producing a big result there. I’m so grateful to [Iron Dames Founder Deborah Mayer] for the opportunity to ride here in Madrid.”
A Force in the Global Champions League
Mytilineou’s season isn’t just turning heads on the individual circuit. After two years with Madrid in Motion, she joined the Monaco Comets powered by Iron Dames in 2024. This weekend, she helped the team to a fourth-place finish in the GCL with a clear round aboard La Perla VD Heffinck.
So far this season, Mytilineou has yet to knock a rail for the Comets and helped them to podium finishes in both Doha and Madrid. The team currently sits fourth overall in the league standings, with eyes on November’s GCL Super Cup in Prague.
The Stats Don’t Lie
According to Jumpr App, Mytilineou has a 71% clear round rate at 1.60m, and an impressive 82% at 1.55m—a signal that Sunday’s win isn’t just a one-off.
“I haven’t won much,” she admitted earlier in the week. But with a 5* victory now under her belt and numbers that back up her consistency, that narrative is starting to change.
And perhaps, as the tour moves on to Paris, Mytilineou herself is starting to believe it too.
