Longines Global Champions Tour de Monaco: The Show-Jumping Triumph Concludes with a Thrilling Showdown

At the foot of the Prince’s Palace, with the stunning backdrop of Port Hercules three fabulous days of the 16th Monte-Carlo International Show Jumping competition, which started on 30th June, has just come to an exciting conclusion. 

Since 2006, the Monte-Carlo International Show Jumping event has been hosting the world’s top-ranking riders providing more than a 15 years of great moments of sport, equestrian emotions and exceptional spectacle. The course is one of the most difficult in the world. With jumps covering the arena, it is very short, very narrow and full of turns. The tightness of the course means that riders must have complete control and a highly advanced technique. 

The show jumping event is both a jumping competition and a race against the clock. The champions are competing for the Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco, which is the ultimate reward for this stage of the challenge.

There are also, during these 3 days, amateur and professional events scheduled, including the Pro-Am-Cup, where the big names in equestrianism team up with young talent for a friendly encounter.

First Day – A Birthday Win

The first day got of to a thrilling start, the competition having received tremendous support from HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Caroline of Hanover and her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi. 

In the first event of the CSI5 the Italian anthem sounded at the end of the Prix de la Fédération Equestre de la Principalité (2 phases, 1.45m). For his birthday (36 years old), the Italian Emanuel Gaudiano, in the saddle on Crack Balou, indeed won by two hundredths ahead of Swede Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli. 

And then on the course designed by the Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani, the Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten won with the fastest of the thirteen clear rounds with his 10-year-old mare Elwikke who signs her first success in a CSI5 event. 

Just by 35 hundredths of a second , the world number 26, crowned in the Grand Prix in 2019, won ahead of Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf (n°75) on the 10-year-old gelding Mr. Tac. 

Second Day – The Casino Monte Carlo Trophy

Fans and tourists lapped up the amazing scenes as superstar horses performed metres from the seafront and VIPs arrived on private tenders from their superyachts to enjoy first class hospitality on the French Riviera. 

In an edge-of-the-seat jump-off, Simon Delestre piloted his trusty 17-year-old Hermes Ryan to the top of the leaderboard, snatching the win after a thrilling 14-rider jump-off. Bettendorf secured second on board his energetic Astuce de la Roque while first to go in the jump-off Gilles Thomas and 9-year-old Jetric van Beek Z came third. 

HelloMonaco had a chance to talk to Valentine Platini, a young Monegasque rider who is very talented who is taking part in the competition and not for the first time either. Last year in the 11th Edition of the Pro-Am Cup ten teams faced each other bravely on the LGCT sand until the final round where Valentine Platini and V. Barca (Cavalleria Toscana) from Team Virtus stood out among the others thanks to the horses perfect performance at each round, combining balance, style and speed.

HelloMonaco: How did it happen that you got involved with horses and this sport?

Valentine Platini: I started riding at a young age. We are always with our horses. Of course, it’s always more complicated when there are two of us. And it’s not just us who are trying, it’s also the horse who must absolutely be in good condition. It’s hard physically, but especially mentally, because there are times when you can’t achieve everything you want. But when you can, and you have companions riding with you it’s much better than when you’re alone.

HelloMonaco: For how long have you been doing this already?

Valentine Platini: I started riding when I was eight years old.

HelloMonaco: Where in the area here do you like to train?

Valentine Platini: In Nice, at the equine club.

HelloMonaco: And what about the horse? Is there only one specific horse you work with, or are there others?

Valentine Platini: The horse I ride is my mother’s one. And I have one pony, and a new horse too.

HelloMonaco: And is there anything special you focus on when you train with the horse. Are there techniques to help the horse to listen to you, and to jump?

Valentine Platini: A lot of things, it’s complicated to explain. Sometimes it’s stressful because I have to remember all the courses and the distances between the fences. I want to succeed further. It’s also important to have a horse that wants to jump because when they don’t want to, it’s disturbing for us too. I don’t know how to fully explain what I feel. On the optimistic side I have the impression that it is less hard than it could be. Dressage is much stricter. Although they do also set rules for show jumping there are far fewer rules and I feel that we can be with our horse more, we can understand the horse more.

HelloMonaco: So what is your expectation here from Jumping Monte-Carlo?

Valentine Platini: I hope to do better every day. I want to do better than I did today and to go up in the rankings and to do it without being too stressed.

Final Day – Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco

Under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, the 10th leg of the Championship race is a long-standing and popular stop on the calendar, with illustrious names listed on the winner’s roster over the years. Crowds lined the edge of the arena, including passionate fans of the sport and new visitors who had never witnessed show jumping before but were delighted to see the world’s top riders and horses in such a breathtaking venue.

There was a unique team event where the teams do not represent nations but interestingly cities … with Stockholm coming out on top. On incredible form recently, under 25 rider Lily Attwood pulled out a phenomenal double clear for the Stockholm Hearts with her enthusiastic mare Calvaro’s Up to Date, managing her horse brilliantly to leave the team on a zero score. Anchor Olivier Philippaerts put in a breathtaking performance with H&M Miro, keeping the Hearts as the only team on a completely clear score.

The big event of the day was of course the Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco. And Deja Vu! The thrilling showdown finished with same three riders on podium as last year in Monaco 

Max Kühner, Darragh Kenny and Olivier Philippaerts made it the same back-to-back podiums in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco, after a spectacular performance of top sport. But last years ranking was shaken up with the first two swapping places.

Securing his first-ever LGCT Grand Prix win Max Kühner managed to do one better than last year to land on top of the podium with the same horse EIC Coriolis des Isles. Darragh Kenny had to settle for second place this year with Volnay du Boisdeville finishing 0.3s behind Max in the two man jump-off. While Olivier Philippaerts stood in bronze position again after just two time faults in the first round with H&M Miro. 

Kühner’s win means he is the latest addition to the GC Prague Playoffs, with a ticket to the elite line-up in the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix which will take place in Prague this November.

The dazzling evening of top sport delivered splendidly as the crowd erupted in cheers under floodlights at the incredible showground nestled alongside Monaco’s famous port beneath the Prince’s Palace. HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlotte Casiraghi watched avidly from the Royal Hospitality. 

They witnessed Darragh Kenny punch the air in triumph ecstatic at his win.

Charlotte Casiraghi, Honorary President of the Jumping International de Monte-Carlo had these words to offer about the event and gracious thanks to all: 

“Sixteen years ago, the honour of taking an active part in the Jumping International de Monte-Carlo Longines Global Champions Tour was entrusted to me. Sixteen years during which the pleasure of finding you on the slopes of Port Hercule has been renewed each time. Sixteen years during which our common passion for horses and show jumping has never waned. Sixteen years which have seen the Jumping International de Monte Carlo grow and perpetuate, while reinventing itself on the occasion of each edition. First of all, I would like to thank you for all these years of emotions and passion, but also for your loyalty to this Monegasque event, which you have carried to the point of making it the Principality’s third sporting event {after the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo Masters Tennis. I am also very proud that the Longines ProAm Cup celebrates its twelfth edition this year. How many friendships between professionals and amateurs has it made? How many passions has it sparked?”

And those passions are bound to stay alive waiting for next year’s 17th show-jumping spectacular in Monaco!