Edited press release from Longines Global Champions Tour 

Max Kühner (AUT) and EIC Up Too Jacco Blue (Chacco-Blue x Ard VDL Douglas) won Saturday's CSI5* 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of St. Tropez. 

Simon Delestre (FRA) managed to do one better than last year, stepping up to second place just over a second slower than Kühner. Aboard Cayman Jolly Jumper (Hickstead x Quaprice Bois Margot), Delestre was head to head with current LGCT ranking leader Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (ESP) who secured third place on the 19-year-old Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot (L'Arc de Triomphe x Apache d'Adriers) to extend his lead. 

A beaming Max Kühner spoke with GCTV after a whirlwind day of showjumping and sporting action: “What a day, it's great to stand back on top of a Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix podium again, particularly here in Ramatuelle, St. Tropez with Max Verstappen watching us. My horses have been so consistent this season so it makes this season’s championship exciting to be part of.”

Championship leader Eduardo Alvarez Aznar was at a loss for words for his crowd favourite mount Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot, who jumped an unmatched fifth clear round in a Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix during 2024. Talking to GCTV, he said: “What can I say, I am running out of words for this horse, he is just unbelievable what he is doing at 19-years-old in probably his last season at the top level, and he comes back as strong as ever.”

Without a shadow of disappointment, a jovial Simon Delestre spoke to GCTV of his second place finish today: “I have been three times second, one time third… Maybe I can win this LGCT Grand Prix one day.”

In what looked to be a class destined to be without the need for a jump-off, 18th to go Kühner proved the challenging track jumpable and threw down the challenge for the 22 riders that followed. Last year’s LGCT Grand Prix of St. Tropez-winner Julien Epaillard (FRA) and Donatello d'Auge (Jarnac x Hello Pierville) delivered a clear round in front of his home crowd. Epaillard put the pressure on, laying down the fastest run of round one and ensuring a jump-off in St. Tropez.  

With an extremely tight time allowed, Katrin Eckermann (GER) on Cala Mandia (Capistrano x Valentino) and Kim Emmen (NED) aboard Imagine (Cassini Gold x Lord Z) picked up an agonizing time fault each, keeping them out of the jump-off. 

The jump-off was a race to the finish, with the top two riders in the LGCT Championship standings going head to head looking to secure maximum points in St. Tropez. Max Kühner took no prisoners and laid down a lightning-fast round aboard EIC Up Too Jacco Blue as first to go. The Austrian rider kept pushing till the end but was sure to be careful of the final jump to ensure he came home clean. His stellar round put him into first place in a time of 36.39 seconds with three riders left to go.

Julien Epaillard was looking for a back to back win in St. Tropez. He made quick work of the course with Donatello d'Auge, but acquired eight faults. Eduardo Alvarez Aznar was quick and clear, but could not quite match the swift pace set by Kühner. Last to go Simon Delestre was on the hunt for a win on home turf but could not catch Kühner, taking second place in 37.74 with Alvarez Aznar following in third and Epaillard in fourth. 

With his third place, Alvarez Aznar maintains his lead on the LGCT standings. Kühner’s win sees him close the gap to Aznar, now sitting just 18 points off the lead.