Must Watch Moment: Riesenbeck International Rewrite the Record Ahead of Homecoming

Some victories define a season. Others redefine what is possible.

As the GCL championship heads to its halfway point, one team has turned sustained excellence into a piece of championship history. Riesenbeck International powered by HorseGym arrived in Monaco chasing something no team had ever achieved before. They left the Principality having done exactly that.

Three consecutive GCL victories.

After triumphs in St. Tropez and Paris, Monaco completed an unprecedented hat-trick, making Riesenbeck International the first team in GCL history to win three stages back-to-back. In doing so, they stretched their championship lead to 161 points, opening a 29-point advantage over Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team (132) as attention now turns to Stage 9 on home soil in Riesenbeck.

But it wasn't simply the result that made Monaco the must-watch moment of the weekend. It was how they achieved it.

Four Faultless Rounds in the Toughest Arena on Tour

Monaco asks completely different questions to almost every other venue on the calendar.

The Tour's smallest arena leaves little room for recovery. Every stride matters, every turn is amplified and under the floodlights, pressure reaches another level.

Yet Maximilian Weishaupt aboard Zuccero HV and Marco Kutscher with Pikeur Lemar NRW made it look almost effortless.

Having already delivered victory together in Paris just one week earlier, the same two riders returned with the same two horses and once again produced four flawless rounds. They were the only team to keep the same combinations across both rounds in Monaco and finish with double clears throughout.

Across Paris and Monaco, neither horse touched a single rail.

It was a display built on consistency rather than brilliance in isolation — exactly the type of reliability championships are won on.

Reflecting on the achievement, Marco Kutscher said:

"To win three GCL stages in a row is something very special. We've achieved back-to-back wins before, but this is the first time we've managed three consecutive victories, so we're incredibly happy. Today's competition was tough over two demanding rounds, and for my horse it was the first time jumping under the floodlights here in Monaco. The feeling was fantastic, and both horses delivered brilliantly. To repeat what we achieved in Paris with the exact same riders and horses makes this result even more satisfying."

Maximilian Weishaupt added:

"Coming here after Paris with the same horse and producing another winning performance shows just how versatile these horses are. Monaco asks completely different questions, but my horse felt super all day and it was a lot of fun to ride here. To make it three wins in a row for the team is an incredible achievement, and having our owners here to celebrate with us makes it even more special."

A Return to Championship Form

For followers of GCL, Riesenbeck International's resurgence feels familiar.

Champions in 2023 and winners of the GCL Super Cup that same season, they have long been regarded as one of the benchmark teams of the championship. They followed that title-winning campaign by finishing runners-up in the 2024 championship and fourth in the Super Cup.

Now, halfway through 2026, they appear to be rediscovering that same relentless consistency.

The numbers underline the dominance:

• 161 championship points, leading the standings by 29 points.
• Three consecutive stage victories — the first team ever to achieve the feat.
• 19 clear rounds, the most of any team this season.
• Four podium finishes, more than any other team.
• The three most successful rider-horse combinations of the season all belong to Riesenbeck International:
  • Ciaran Nallon & Casalla Blue PS — four clear rounds
  • Maximilian Weishaupt & Zuccero HV — four clear rounds
  • Marco Kutscher & Pikeur Lemar NRW — four clear rounds
• Every one of the team's six riders has stood on a podium during the first half of the season, highlighting the extraordinary depth within the squad.

Their success has not been built around one superstar pairing. It has been built around repeatable performances from multiple combinations, giving team manager Ludger Beerbaum enviable strength throughout the roster.

Home Soil, Championship Momentum... and the Transfer Window

The timing could hardly be more compelling.

Next stop is Riesenbeck.

Stage 9 sees GCL return to the home venue of the championship leaders, with momentum firmly behind the German powerhouse. Yet while Riesenbeck International arrive carrying the confidence of three consecutive victories, the landscape around them may be about to shift.

The mid-season transfer window is now officially open.

Every team has the opportunity to strengthen its squad before the second half of the championship, adding another layer of intrigue to an already fascinating title race. Will rivals make bold moves to halt Riesenbeck's momentum? Or will the championship leaders back the combinations that have already rewritten the history books?

One thing is certain.

The home crowd will welcome a team chasing a fourth consecutive victory — and another chapter in what is rapidly becoming one of the most dominant campaigns the GCL has ever seen.