Championship Revival: Shanghai Swans Seize Control of GCL 2025

For a team stacked with names like Daniel Deusser, Ben Maher, Max Kühner, and Christian Ahlmann, expectations have always flown high for the Shanghai Swans. But over recent seasons, they’ve been living in the shadow of that potential - circling just outside contention, weighed down by the pressure of promise.

After finishing 4th in the 2022 GCL season, the Swans tumbled to 11th in 2023 and only marginally improved to 10th in 2024. Despite the individual accolades of their riders, the collective performance never quite soared - until the GCL Super Cup at the GC Playoffs in Riyadh, in November 2024. There, the Swans finally spread their wings, storming to second place and reigniting belief in the team’s true capabilities.

As the 2025 season dawned, the question was clear: was Riyadh a spark - or the start of a fire?

With a fresh injection of talent in GCL debutant Katharina Rhomberg, and the newly acquired young gun Antoine Ermann flying the U25 flag, the Swans entered the season with quiet determination and renewed chemistry.

On paper, this team reads like a highlight reel from the Longines Global Champions Tour itself. Kühner is the reigning LGCT Champion. Maher, a three-time LGCT titleholder, remains one of the sport’s most consistent tacticians. Deusser captured the prestigious LGCT Super Grand Prix title in at the GC Prague Playoffs in 2022. And Ahlmann? A veteran with more LGCT Grand Prix wins than most riders dream of.

But talent and reputation alone doesn’t win titles.

The Redemption Round

Stage 1, 2025: Doha.  An opening scene that wasn’t the dream start the Swans had hoped for. Faults from Deusser and Ahlmann saw them finish 11th - a performance that felt all too familiar. But at Stage 2 in Mexico City, everything changed.

Kühner and Rhomberg came out firing on the expansive grass of Campo Marte. Composed, clinical, and quick, they clinched the win and signaled that the Swans were back in business. A clear shift in momentum launched the Swans up the rankings - and set the stage for something special.

No Place Like Home: Swans Step Up When It Counts

Returning to the Shanghai Juss International Equestrian Centre for stage three - the site of their 2024 stage victory - the Swans brought out the heavy artillery. Maher, Kühner, and Deusser. Legends, all three. The crowd knew it. The 16 other teams knew it. The pressure was electric. But the competition was far from over.

An early rail from Maher and Enjeu de Grisien in Round 1 left the Swans on the edge. Kühner, unflappable as ever, piloted EIC Julius Caesar to a faultless finish, keeping them on just 4 faults going into Round 2. Meanwhile, powerhouses Madrid In Motion, Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team, and reigning champions Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames all posted double clears. The Swans would need something exceptional to hold their ground.

And that’s exactly what they delivered.

In Round 2, Maher swapped to the ultra-consistent Dallas Vegas Batilly, and Kühner brought out EIC Up Too Jacco Blue. Both riders produced clear rounds with lightning-fast pace, clocking in at 148.29 seconds - just enough to edge out Valkenswaard United’s Marcus Ehning and Gilles Thomas, who also finished on four faults but trailed by more than five seconds.

 It was a clutch performance. No mistakes. No hesitation. Surrounded by owners, family, and roaring fans, Maher and Kühner showed what elite sport is all about - rising to the moment when it matters most.

Swans Soar to the Top

 Now, after three stages, the Shanghai Swans hold the coveted leaders’ armbands with 71 points. Cannes Stars sit just behind on 68, while Valkenswaard United stay within striking distance on 53.

It’s tight at the top - just 19 points separate the top four. The gap from fifth to fifteenth? A razor-thin 20 points. With notable heavyweights like 2023 champions Riesenbeck International powered by Horse Gym languishing in ninth, still searching for form, the title race remains wide open.

Madrid on the Horizon: Championship Intensity Builds

Next stop: Madrid. Rumours are already swirling about horsepower and rider line-ups that could send shockwaves through the standings. Could this be the most hotly contested GCL season in recent memory?

The stats suggest it. The performances promise it. And the Swans - at long last - are living up to their legend and are no longer the underperforming favourites. They’re the team to beat.

 Relive Every Moment So Far on GCTV – Your Front Row Seat to the World’s Best Show Jumping.