Delestre Dominates €500,000 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid

It was a statement win in the Spanish capital as Simon Delestre delivered a flawless performance to take victory in the €500,000 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid. Riding Gatsby du Tillard, Delestre produced the only double clear of the class, mastering a high-pressure jump-off to secure his golden ticket to the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix.

In front of a sold-out crowd at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, the competition reached another level as riders chased every fraction of a second. Stephan de Freitas Barcha came closest to challenging the lead with Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio, setting a blistering pace in the jump-off, but a costly last fence down in the jump-off had to settling for second. Just behind, Antoine Ermann takes back to back podiums, this time aboard Floyd des Pres, just under two seconds slower than Stphan to continue his flying form from Shanghai.

As the sun dipped over the Madrid skyline, the demanding 1.60m track once again proved decisive - testing accuracy, bravery and control at every turn. From the opening round to the final jump-off, the class delivered relentless drama, with Delestre’s composure ultimately setting him apart at a pivotal stage of the 2026 Championship race.

Speaking after his win, Delestre highlighted just how much the moment meant, particularly in one of the Tour’s most iconic settings: “When you win a Grand Prix like this, it’s always an incredible feeling - and to do it here in Madrid, in one of the nicest arenas in Europe, with this crowd and this atmosphere, makes it even more special. It’s always a very tough Grand Prix here, you need a truly special horse, so I’m really proud of what my horse did today. He’s still quite young, it’s his first season at this five-star Grand Prix level, but he was already clear in Shanghai two weeks ago. I would say he’s one of the nicest horses I’ve ever ridden in my career.”

With just four riders in the jump-off, tactics proved crucial - and Delestre admitted his approach was shaped: “I think I can say, I have a few more years experience than Antoine, but it’s always difficult with only four in the jump-off. I was quite lucky to go third because I could watch the first two. I saw that Stephan was very fast with one down, so I knew it would be risky to try and beat that time with a rail. I also knew that if I jumped clear, I would be at least second, so I really focused on keeping it clear - and in the end, that decision paid off.”

The result also sees Delestre take hold of the championship lead, but the Frenchman remains grounded about the challenge ahead:  “It’s a good start, but it’s a long season and you have to be consistent all the way through. I’m fully focused on the Longines Global Champions Tour this year. I have an amazing group of horses, so hopefully I can fight to be in the top three - that would be fantastic. You never know, but I’ll give everything for a strong result.”

Securing his place at the end-of-season showdown was another major takeaway from the weekend, with Delestre pleased to have already booked his ticket: “It’s fantastic to qualify for the Super Grand Prix so early in the season. I finished second there last year, so let’s see what we can do this time.”

Pushing the pace from the outset, Stephan de Freitas Barcha came agonisingly close to victory after setting the early benchmark in the jump-off. Reflecting on the result, Barcha remained upbeat, taking pride in both the performance and his long-standing partnership with his mare: “I’m really happy - it was very close to winning. I was first to go in the jump-off and I stuck to my plan. The last fence went down, but I was the fastest time. We’ve had a long partnership, and she really is a horse of a lifetime. To finish second in such an important Grand Prix like this makes me very happy.”

As pathfinder, Barcha knew he had to take risks to put pressure on the field - a decision that ultimately shaped the outcome: “As number one to go, I had to take some risks. The last fence was my mistake, but that’s our sport. You have to try. Every Grand Prix day, when I wake up for a big class like this - especially here in Madrid with a full crowd - this is exactly why I do this sport. It’s such a special feeling. This is what we work for every day, to be good enough to compete in an atmosphere like this. It’s a privilege to ride in a Grand Prix like this.”

Continuing his impressive run of form, Antoine Ermann highlighted just how much the back-to-back podiums meant to him: “It’s a really great feeling for me today. I was on the podium in Shanghai with a different horse, so to have two podiums in a row with two different horses is very special.”

Facing a demanding track, the young French rider emphasised the challenge of the class and the importance of careful planning as the season progresses: “It wasn’t an easy course at all - it was a tough Grand Prix. My next LGCT will be Cannes, and after that I’ll see how my horses are feeling and make the best plan for the rest of the season, especially with the championship in mind. We’re very lucky to do our sport in arenas like this, with such an incredible crowd - here in Madrid and also in Shanghai. For us and for the horses, it’s a really special feeling when you go into the arena. You can truly feel the energy.”

The 2026 Championship picture took another decisive turn in Madrid, with Simon Delestre surging to the top of the standings on 117 points following his win today. The Frenchman now holds a commanding lead as the season gathers momentum. Hot on his heels, Katrin Eckermann sits second on 104 points, keeping the pressure firmly on after another consistent run of results with just one rail keeping her out of the jump-off today. Denmark’s Zascha Nygaard climbs into third with 76 points, edging ahead in an increasingly tight battle at the top.

Just behind, Piergiorgio Bucci holds fourth on 75 points, while Edwina Tops-Alexander remains firmly in contention in fifth on 73 points. With the margins narrowing and momentum shifting after every stage, the 2026 title race is rapidly building into one of the most competitive seasons yet.

Round one of the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid was unforgiving from the outset, with the demanding track allowing just four riders to produce clear rounds and secure a place in the jump-off. The tight time allowed and technical lines caught out many, turning it into a survival test as much as a race for precision. First to go Fernando Martinez Sommer was clear over the fences but 2 agonising time faults kept him out of the jump-off. 

Big names fell by the wayside, with yesterday’s Kings Cup winner Philipp Weishaupt, reigning LGCT Champion Gilles Thomas and Hans-Dieter Dreher all opting to retire, highlighting just how tough the track rode. Elsewhere, a wave of four-fault rounds kept riders agonisingly out of contention, including Katrin Eckermann, 2023 LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid winner Edwina Tops-Alexander, home hero Sergio Álvarez Moya and Denis Lynch, all within touching distance but ultimately denied a shot at the jump-off. There was heartbreak for Jeanne Sadran who jump had the final fence down leaving only four to come back. 

It was a round defined by pressure, precision and fine margins - where even the smallest mistake proved costly - setting the stage for a high-stakes jump-off and reinforcing Madrid’s reputation as one of the toughest tests on the Tour.

Jump-Off Drama Decides It All:

First into the arena, Stephan de Freitas Barcha set the early benchmark aboard Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio. A composed and flowing round looked to be heading for a clear, but the final fence fell, leaving him on 4 faults in 44.95 seconds - a fast time that immediately applied pressure.

Next to go, Thibeau Spits had a far more complicated ride with Impress-K van’t Kattenheye Z. A refusal at the Longines double broke the rhythm, and despite continuing, another fence down and time penalties saw the scoreboard climb to 17 faults in 61.95 seconds, taking him out of contention.

Then came Simon Delestre, who took a completely different approach aboard Gatsby du Tillard. Opting for control over risk, he delivered a measured, faultless round - no chasing the clock, just precision - stopping the clock clear in 52.30 seconds, a results that would prove crucial.

With the door wide open, Antoine Ermann looked set to take full advantage aboard Floyd des Pres. Flying around the track and over four seconds up on the leading time, it all came down to the final moments - but the penultimate fence fell after a tight rollback. Forced to settle, he crossed the line on 4 faults in 47.09 seconds, still quick enough for another podium finish and back-to-back top-three results after Shanghai but handing the win to fellow Frenchman Simon.

With the Championship picture growing ever closer and the pressure building at the top, the Tour now heads to the iconic shores of the Cannes for the next stage of the Longines Global Champions Tour (4–6 June). Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, Cannes is ready to deliver the next chapter in what is shaping up to be an unpredictable and fiercely fought 2026 season.