Press release from Longines Global Champions Tour, edited by World of Showjumping

With the Eiffel Tower standing proudly over the iconic Champ de Mars arena, Max Kühner (AUT) and EIC Up Too Jacco Blue (Chacco-Blue x Douglas) produced a performance worthy of the Paris stage to claim victory in the CSI5* 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Paris 2026 presented by Ville de Paris.

In front of packed grandstands and under immense pressure, the Austrian rider delivered a superb double clear, stopping the clock in a blistering 38.36 seconds in the jump-off to secure his first Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix win of the season. The victory not only earned Kühner the coveted golden ticket to the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Riyadh Playoffs, but also propelled him to second in the overall LGCT standings, just five points behind leader Abdel Saïd (BEL).

Joining Kühner on the podium was Ireland's Denis Lynch, who once again demonstrated his trademark consistency aboard Cordial (Casall x Chicago Z) with a polished double clear in 39.89 seconds, while France's Olivier Perreau delighted the home crowd by guiding GL Events Dorai d'Aiguilly (Kannan x Toulon) to third place with another faultless performance in 39.99 seconds.

Returning to the top step of the Longines Global Champions Tour podium for the first time since his runner-up finish in the LGCT Grand Prix of Monaco in 2024, Kühner delivered a masterclass aboard EIC Up Too Jacco Blue to claim victory in Paris. Reflecting on the achievement, an emotional Kühner said: "Fantastic. Quite a long time ago I won my last one, so I'm always happy when it happens again."

The victory also carried extra meaning, with one of EIC Up Too Jacco Blue's owners celebrating a birthday in Paris. "One of the owners was joining us here and watching the show and celebrating his birthday, so for sure this is a very nice birthday present today," said Kühner with a smile.

Seven stages into the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour season, the race for the title is beginning to take shape. Consistency has been key, but with Monaco next on the calendar and plenty of points still available, the battle remains wide open.