St Tropez Pirates Sail to Victory Under Moroccan Skies at GCL Rabat

The GCL delivered yet another evening of drama and sporting brilliance as the championship returned to Morocco’s capital for Stage 15 of the 2025 season continuing the legacy of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture. The Grand Théâtre de Rabat played host to a spectacle of world-class sport. Beneath the towering silhouette of the Hassan Tower, where Morocco’s heritage meets modernity, the world’s best riders took to the arena for one of the most anticipated stages of the year.

When the dust finally settled, it was the St Tropez Pirates who emerged victorious, holding their nerve through two gruelling rounds to claim the win in style. Young gun Thibault Philippaerts and French veteran Philippe Rozier combined youth and experience to perfection, mastering the Uliano Vezzani-designed course with precision and flair. Rozier produced an early round that put the team on the edge of their seats, while Philippaerts – just 23 years old – delivered a flawless anchor round that sealed the deal and ignited celebrations from the stands to the stables.

With a grin from ear to ear, Thibault commented, “I have always looked up to these legendary riders so to compete with them on a team alongside Philippe and win against them is just amazing.” He went on to add, “I trusted the quality of my horse today, he jumped really amazing - I am just very lucky to have a horse like him in my team, plus my team at home with my parents and my family supporting me all the way… and right now I am just enjoying every moment.”

Philippe Rozier told GCTV: “This is my first win in the global champions league and I love the circuit. It is big sport with many good riders and good horses every week. Like the last four weeks have been New York, Vienna, Rome and now here in Rabat it is just unbelievable. It is an unbelievable experience for me in my last year. This is my last outdoor 5* event before I retire from 5* shows at the end of the season so this victory is very important to me.”

Finishing in second, the Rome Gladiators powered by Cavalleria Toscana showed impressive pace and teamwork, with Peder Fredricson and Emanuele Gaudiano combining for a fast eight-fault total that kept them just off the top step. Their consistency under pressure reinforced why they remain among the most competitive outfits in the League. In a performance that didn't go unnoticed, Peder spoke of the impact Thibault Philippaerts is making in the GCL - his debut year. “Normally I am always cheering for him - just today I wasn’t because I wanted for us to win! But he is an incredibly strong rider and today he has the mentality that you need to have - and I think these shows are excellent to develop your riding.”

Meanwhile, Istanbul Warriors powered by Carpe Diem Equestrian Team took the final spot on the podium, driven by another flawless effort from Simon Delestre and a determined round from Hasan Senturk. Their performance in Rabat underlined a season of progress, cementing their place among the GCL’s most exciting teams to watch.

Anchorman Simon Delestre commented: “We are so pleased with today’s result, and I must say this season we have been a bit unlucky many times. We have had some really great success - a fantastic team and great team spirit - we always fight strong and want to always do great results… we will fight stronger next year.”

Hasan then added: “This is one of the best shows I think, the ground is perfect, the warm up is perfect, everything is perfect, I couldn’t ask for more than this. It is my first time here in Rabat and I love it!”

Founder and President of GCL Jan Tops explained in the press conference: “We are thrilled to be back here on the African continent. This show is fantastic but it wouldn’t be possible without all our partners so I thank Longines our title partner for all their support and also grateful to continue the legacy of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture after such a successful year last year. Thanks also to the Moroccan Federation for making this event possible.”

The GCL of Rabat marked only the second time the League has touched down on African soil. As the sun dipped behind the city, the crowd roared its approval, celebrating both the sport’s global reach and the growing legacy of equestrian excellence in Morocco. Fresh from New York and Rome, the League’s journey across continents epitomised the truly international nature of the championship – and in Rabat, the momentum reached a fever pitch.

As the penultimate stage of the 2025 Championship, the stakes in Rabat could not have been higher. The fast-track qualification to the GC Prague Playoffs semi-finals hung in the balance, and the top four teams in the standings remain within touching distance of one another. 

Valkenswaard United continue to lead the race on 296 points, narrowly ahead of the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames on 290. The Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team hold third with 256, while the Shanghai Swans cling to fourth on 253 – just 12 points ahead of a surging Riesenbeck International powered by Horse Gym on 241. With so little separating them, everything will come down to the Championship Finals in Riyadh.

From a sporting perspective, Rabat delivered on every level. The first round saw the St Tropez Pirates – represented by Philippaerts and Rozier – take an early lead after a tightly fought session that left three teams on a perfect score of zero: Riesenbeck International, Madrid in Motion, and the Pirates themselves. Vezzani’s course was a masterclass in technical precision, demanding rhythm, scope, and total focus.

As Round 2 began, tension filled the air. Rails began to fall early, testing the nerve of every combination under the Moroccan sun. The Shanghai Swans’ hopes faded when Christian Ahlmann and Katharina Rhomberg could not replicate their usual precision, while despite a valiant effort from Stockholm Hearts powered by H&M We Love Horses in Round 2, suffered greatly from an uncharacteristic 18 faults from Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Hennessy in round 1.

The Prague Lions showed their resilience, fielding Niels Bruynseels and Pieter Devos aboard fresh horses Origi vd Vosberg and Primo DV, both of whom delivered clear and composed second-round rides that reaffirmed their top-three Championship position. The Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames looked to their rising talents Natalie Dean and Anastasia Nielsen to rescue a difficult start – Dean delivering a superb clear aboard Crescendo MB Z, Nielsen adding just four faults with Action Man – but their Round 1 total of 12 proved too much to overcome, leaving them on 16 and with work to do before Riyadh.

For the New York Empire powered by Lugano, early promise gave way to frustration. Carrying four penalties into the second round, Denis Lynch and Brooklyn Heights added 12 more, while Scott Brash’s single rail on Hello Chadora Lady dropped the team to fifth for the time being. 

Championship leaders Valkenswaard United once again showed their trademark composure under pressure, though luck wasn’t entirely on their side in Rabat. Marcus Ehning produced a typically elegant round aboard Flower Girl - even managing to stay in the saddle after a dramatic near-dismount, later laughing that he “thought he was going to fall off.” Partner Oliver Lazarus and Conbalthago delivered a strong performance, but the lightest of touches on the final rail added four faults to their tally. The pair’s combined effort kept Valkenswaard United on eight penalties - enough to extend their Championship lead heading into Riyadh.

The Istanbul Warriors powered by Carpe Diem Equestrian Team impressed once again, with Delestre’s faultless round on board Golden Boy DK and just a single rail for Hasan Senturk and Avant Toi keeping them in the podium fight. The Rome Gladiators powered by Cavalleria Toscana produced a display of determination, their eight-fault total achieved in lightning-fast time to move into the lead of the fastest eight-faulters before the final teams entered the ring.

Riesenbeck International, desperate for a top result to keep their Championship hopes alive, suffered heartbreak when Marco Kutscher and Catelly had a refusal at the final combination, adding costly time penalties that rendered Philipp Weishaupt’s round irrelevant almost. Their 20-fault finish was a cruel blow at a critical moment in the season.

That left the St Tropez Pirates with it all to play for as the final team to go. A single early rail from Rozier meant the pressure fell squarely on Philippaerts, but the 23 year old Belgian remained unflappable. His impeccable clear on Lyandro MBD, his second clear of the day, sealed the team’s first win of the season, sparking jubilation in the Moroccan afternoon sun and solidifying their place in GCL history.

As the League packs up in Rabat and sets its sights on Riyadh for Stage 16 – the Championship Finals from 30 October to 1 November – the battle for the top four is reaching boiling point. With the fast track to the GC Prague Playoffs semi-finals at stake, every stride, rail, and heartbeat in Riyadh will count.

Rabat has once again proven itself a jewel on the global calendar – where history, culture, and elite sport collide beneath the Moroccan sky. The 2025 GCL season is charging toward its finale, and the fight for glory has never been closer.