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Karl Cook and Caracole de La Roque delivered another breathtaking performance to claim their third CSIO5* Grand Prix victory of the season at the inaugural Longines League of Nations™ leg in St. Tropez. The American duo's flawless execution under pressure cemented their status as one of the world's most formidable partnerships.

Grégory Bodo's technical masterpiece proved to be a brutal test that decimated the world-class field. The Paris 2024 Olympic co-course designer crafted a demanding first round that Cook described as feeling almost like an "indoor course," characterized by tightly grouped fences and challenging rollbacks that demanded absolute precision. The course's severity was evident in the carnage: from a field of 49 elite combinations, nine retired including heartbreaking early exits for home favorites Kevin Staut and Julien Epaillard, while a further nine accumulated 12 faults or more.

The top 13 combinations advanced to the second round—nine clear rounds, two with single time faults, and two four-faulters. Bodo's second test proved equally demanding, with only six managing to produce the double-clear rounds needed for victory. This level of attrition at five-star level demonstrated Bodo's masterful course design that truly separated the championship contenders.

The decisive moment came in the second round, where Bodo presented a completely different challenge: an open, galloping track that prioritized speed and strategic risk-taking. Brazil's Stephan de Freitas Barcha set the early standard with Dinozo Império Egípcio, posting a blistering 41.59 seconds that looked unbeatable. World number 12 Laura Kraut followed with Bisquetta, clocking 41.76 seconds to secure her place on the podium.

But Cook, riding last with the strategic advantage of knowing exactly what time to beat, produced a masterclass in jump-off riding. Taking every available inside turn and trusting Caracole's incredible agility, the pair blazed through the timers in 41.06 seconds—more than half a second faster than the field.

🇫🇷 CSIO5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gassin Grand Prix Podium:

Sunday's Nations Cup delivered one of the most dramatic and unpredictable team battles of the 2025 season. What started as a disaster for Great Britain transformed into a stunning upset victory that showcased the unpredictable nature of team competition.

The British squad, described as "relatively inexperienced" with two LLN debutants, began catastrophically. Mark Edwards and Dillinger Ne suffered a technical elimination, immediately eliminating any margin for error. When Tim Gredley followed with 8 faults, British hopes seemed finished. But Jack Whitaker's inspired clear round with Jack JL kept them alive, sneaking into the second round in fifth place.

The final round brought complete redemption. Gredley delivered a morale-boosting clear, Whitaker managed just one rail, and debutant Adrian Whiteway rode brilliantly clear over the fences with Chacco Volo, incurring only time faults to put Great Britain on 15 faults total.

The drama reached fever pitch when Germany's Sandra Auffarth entered the arena knowing a clear round with Quirici H would secure victory for the defending champions. The veteran combination glided over fence after fence with precision until the penultimate obstacle, where a single hind toe caught the rail. In that devastating moment, Germany's chances crumbled and Great Britain's fairytale was complete.

Italy secured their first-ever LLN podium finish in second place with 16 faults, anchored by Piergiorgio Bucci's masterful double-clear with Hantano. Belgium completed the podium in third with 17 faults.

🇫🇷 CSIO5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Longines League of Nations™ Final Standings:

Great Britain's stunning victory proved decisive in the final championship standings, catapulting them from mid-table to second overall and securing a prime seeding for the Barcelona Final. The season-long battle across four qualifying legs—Abu Dhabi, Ocala, Rotterdam, and St. Tropez—has produced a highly competitive field for the Barcelona Final.

Final LLN 2025 Season Standings - Qualified for Barcelona Final:

Both Sweden and Switzerland struggled for consistency across the four legs, with Sweden's best result being 7th in St. Tropez and Switzerland managing only 8th as their highest finish. France's remarkable consistency—never finishing worse than 5th—earned them the top seeding, while the dramatic final day shuffling saw Great Britain leapfrog from outside medal contention to second overall.

Kent Farrington and Greya capped an extraordinary fortnight with their third American Gold Cup victory, adding to their World Cup triumph just one week prior. The World No. 1's dominance at Flintfields Horse Park reached historic proportions as he matched his own record of six five-star Grand Prix wins in a calendar year.

Alan Wade's championship course lived up to its reputation, filtering the world-class field down to just six combinations for the jump-off. The Irish master's design philosophy shone through—a track that tested every aspect of horsemanship without resorting to tricks or traps. The technical demands proved decisive, with clear rounds at a premium.

The jump-off became a battle between defending champion Shane Sweetnam, seeking a historic third consecutive title with James Kann Cruz, and the in-form Farrington. Farrington, riding first, set the standard with a masterclass in efficiency—meeting every fence out of stride while taking the tightest possible lines. They stopped the clock at 34.75 seconds, setting a daunting target.

Sweetnam, going last as the final challenger, delivered a brilliant response, posting 35.97 seconds that left little room for improvement.

The podium was completed by Daniel Coyle and the remarkable 15-year-old Farrel, whose third-place finish represented an incredible comeback story after six years away from five-star competition due to injury.

🇺🇸 CSI5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ American Gold Cup Podium:

Gilles Thomas delivered a championship-defining performance in the $308,600 LGCT Grand Prix of New York, extending his season lead to a commanding 74 points and virtually sealing the 2025 title. Against the iconic Manhattan skyline, the Belgian star and his phenomenal nine-year-old mare Qalista DN produced a breathtaking victory that underlined their dominance.

Peter Grant's 1.60m course proved to be a masterclass in time management rather than raw technical difficulty. The Canadian designer created a track that was supremely fair to the horses, with only two retirements and a worst score of just 10 faults showing the jumpable nature of the fences. However, Grant's tight time allowed became the great separator - while eleven combinations produced clear rounds to advance to the jump-off, a further five pairs jumped fault-free but were caught by the clock, missing their chance by precious seconds. The time pressure created the drama, with veterans like Denis Lynch and Antoine Ermann suffering single time faults that cost them jump-off spots despite otherwise perfect rounds.

The jump-off belonged to the rising generation. Twenty-three-year-old Thibault Philippaerts, making his LGCT Grand Prix debut, stunned the field by taking the lead with Pittman v/h Lilleveld in 31.72 seconds—an astonishing feat that had the crowd sensing history. His runner-up finish earned him a coveted "Golden Ticket" to the prestigious LGCT Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague Playoffs, passed down from Thomas who had already secured his place by winning the Paris leg earlier this season.

But Thomas, wearing the leader's armband, saved his best for last. Paired with Qalista DN, a mare making only her fourth appearance at 1.60m level, he demonstrated precision, speed, and perfect balance as they stopped the clock at 31.07 seconds to claim victory by almost seven-tenths of a second.

🇺🇸 CSI5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LGCT Grand Prix of New York Podium:

Friday's Global Champions League competition delivered the emotional victory the Stockholm Hearts powered by H&M We Love Horses had been seeking all season. Brothers Olivier and Nicola Philippaerts held their nerve when it mattered most, converting pole position into a memorable first win of 2025.

The Hearts entered the second round with a perfect start—both brothers had posted clear rounds in the opening phase for zero faults. But in the GCL format where every fault counts toward the team total, Olivier's single rail with H&M Miro in the second round immediately put the team on 4 faults. With no drop scores in GCL, the mathematics were brutal: any fault from Nicola would be added to their total, likely costing them victory. The pressure was immense as Nicola entered the arena knowing that only a clear round would keep their team total at a winning 4 faults.

Nicola rose to the occasion magnificently, guiding H&M Que Sera through the towering fences with masterful precision to seal the win under the glittering Manhattan skyline.

The victory dramatically tightened the GCL championship race, with season leaders Valkenswaard United suffering a nightmare day. Marcus Ehning's uncharacteristic 24-fault total couldn't be salvaged even by Gilles Thomas's double-clear performance.

🇺🇸 GCL of New York Final Standings:

Thomas's New York victory extended his commanding LGCT individual lead to 74 points, virtually sealing the 2025 championship with his 261-point total. Meanwhile, the GCL team race remains wide open, with Valkenswaard United clinging to a narrow 6-point lead after their New York disaster.

LGCT Individual Championship Standings (Top 5):

GCL Team Championship Standings (Top 5):

Abdeslam Bennani Smires delivered a dream performance on home soil, claiming the World Cup Grand Prix at the opening leg of the Morocco Royal Tour. The Moroccan rider and Mister d'Eclipse dominated a twelve-horse jump-off, stopping the clock at 46.90 seconds to defeat Saudi Olympian Ramzy Al Duhami by over three seconds. The victory was particularly sweet after Al Duhami's commanding win in Friday's qualifier with Untouchable 32 had made him the overwhelming favorite.

Luis Alejandro Plascencia O. led a dominant home nation performance in the Grand Prix, with Mexican riders claiming four of the top five spots. Brazil's Rodrigo Lambre was the only international rider to break the Mexican stranglehold, finishing second with Take-off Diara PS.

The international market saw significant activity this week with several high-profile acquisitions. Edwina Tops-Alexander has acquired a share in the 11-year-old Iron Dames Cydello, formerly partnered with Katrin Eckermann, who only took over the ride from Richard Vogel in May. The move signals Tops-Alexander's strategic planning for major championships.

Two top horses have been sold to Great Britain connections: Petronella Andersson's 5* mount Olympke Van't Merelsnest and Zascha Nygaard's top horse Primavera, significantly bolstering British depth. Meanwhile, Artemis Farms acquired DSP Oganero P for Brazilian legend Rodrigo Pessoa, who expressed high hopes for developing the stallion to championship level.

Former world number one Steve Guerdat faces an extended recovery after undergoing his second back surgery. The Swiss superstar's absence will significantly impact both his nation's championship aspirations and the upcoming indoor World Cup season, serving as a stark reminder of the sport's physical demands.

🇺🇸 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ MLSJ Greenwich (USA, September 25-28) Major League Show Jumping arrives in Connecticut with the sport's biggest names battling for crucial championship points and significant prize money.

🇦🇹 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LGCT Vienna (Austria, September 25-28)
The Longines Global Champions Tour continues its European leg with Gilles Thomas looking to further extend his commanding championship lead.

🇲🇽 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Viva México Tour Coapexpan (Mexico, September 24-28) Mexico's premier tour continues to attract world-class talent with another five-star spectacular.

🇲🇦 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ CSIO4-W Rabat (Morocco, September 24-28) The Morocco Royal Tour moves to the capital for World Cup qualifying action and prestigious Nations Cup competition.

🇫🇷 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hubside Jumping Gassin-St Tropez (France, September 24-28) The French Riviera venue continues its debut season with another week of top-level competition.

🇺🇸 ⭐⭐⭐ Split Rock Jumping Tour Lexington (USA, September 24-28)

🇧🇪 Young Horse Championships Lanaken (Belgium, September 24-28)

This week gets a strong 8.4/10 for excellent variety and consistent quality sport across three continents.

Three solid CSI5* events delivered exactly what we needed—quality course design, competitive fields, and compelling storylines throughout. From Cook's continued dominance to Great Britain's Nations Cup upset, from Farrington's American Gold Cup victory to Thomas's championship march, it was a thoroughly satisfying week that showcased the depth and global reach of top-level showjumping.

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