Riesenbeck International Claims Third Consecutive Victory at the Global Champions League in Monaco

In the end, six hundredths of a second decided victory or defeat at the Global Champions League stop in Monaco—in favor of Team Riesenbeck International. Maximilian Weishaupt on Zuccero and Marco Kutscher riding Lemar were the heroes of the moment at the principality’s marina on the Côte d’Azur. They completed both rounds without any faults, finishing with a total time of 139.61 seconds.

The Madrid in Motion team came up short, represented by Maikel van der Vleuten riding his Olympic and World Championship bronze medalist Beauville Z and Quastor van de Heffinck, as well as Kim Emmen riding Hellix du Seigneur. Neither of them had a single knockdown either. And with a score of 139.67, they were really just a hair slower than the German duo.

Third place also went to Germany, in a sense, as Christian Ahlmann and Max Kühner—a Bavarian who now calls Austria home—also made it onto the podium for the Shanghai Swans with one knockdown in 140.06 seconds. Ahlmann rode both Sheeran WL and Untouched LB clear around the course. Max Kühner had a clear round with EIC Cooley Jump the Q, but had a knockdown with Up Too Jacco Blue.

The successful day for Germany was capped off by Philipp Weishaupt’s second-place finish in the 1.60-meter speed jumping competition for pairs seeking to qualify for the Grand Prix without being part of a team. Riding Oreo D.R., he was beaten only by Martin Fuchs and Fortjump du Beaumenil.

The Hat Trick

Following victories in St. Tropez and Paris, this was the third consecutive triumph for Riesenbeck International. That’s never happened before. Even Marco Kutscher was overwhelmed: “Winning three Global Champions League stages in a row is truly something very special. We’ve won two in a row before, but this is the first time we’ve managed to do it three times in a row. So we’re incredibly happy!”

Especially since he and Max Weishaupt had already secured victory in Paris. Still, he emphasized that it wasn’t a sure thing: “Today’s competition was tough, with two challenging rounds, and for my horse, this was his first time jumping under the floodlights here in Monaco. The feeling was fantastic, and both horses performed brilliantly. To have repeated this result with exactly the same riders and horses makes it even more satisfying.”

Max Weishaupt agreed: “Competing here with the same horses we rode in Paris and winning again just shows how versatile these horses are. Monaco presents a whole different set of challenges, but my horse felt great all day long, and it was a lot of fun to ride here. Three wins in a row is an incredible achievement for the team, and having our owners here to celebrate with us makes it even more special.”

Riesenbeck International Takes the Overall Lead

With today’s victory, Riesenbeck has worked its way to the top of the overall standings at the halfway point of the season. With 161 points, they now lead the Prague Lions (132) and the Istanbul Warriors (126), as well as the Basel Cosmopolitans (126), with the Cannes Stars and Iron Dames (125) close behind.

You can find all the results here.