The Battle Returns: The 2025 GCL Super Cup Set to Ignite the GC Playoffs in Prague

Where champions collide, legacies are forged, and six teams rise from the fire.

The GC Playoffs return to Prague from 20–23 November 2025, and anticipation is sharper than ever. This is the city where legends are made — where the GCL Super Cup transforms pressure into theatre, teamwork into triumph, and ambition into immortality.

With knockout rounds, no drop scores, and the world’s strongest teams going head-to-head under the electrifying lights of the O2 Arena, the stage is set for one of the most explosive Super Cups yet.

<< The GC Playoffs Explained >>

Four Giants Fast-Tracked: The Semi Final Line-Up Is Set

After a gripping 2025 GCL Championship season, the top four teams - Valkenswaard United, Shanghai Swans, Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames, and Riesenbeck International powered by HorseGym - have earned direct passage to Friday's Semi-Final. No Quarter-Finals. No early pressure. But with the advantage comes expectation, and every stride in Prague will carry the weight of a season’s ambition.

Valkenswaard United -  Precision. Discipline. Legacy.

Valkenswaard United arrive with a roster engineered for the biggest stages. Fresh of their 2025 Championship win, Gilles Thomas brings youthful ice in the veins, paired with the incomparable experience of Marcus Ehning. Hans-Dieter Dreher adds electric speed and competitive sharpness, while the legendary John Whitaker remains the team’s anchor of reliability. Together, they represent a blueprint of consistency and championship poise.

Shanghai Swans - A Wall of Firepower and Experience

The Swans enter Prague armed with one of the most decorated quartets in modern show jumping. Ben Maher leads with strategic mastery, joined by Christian Ahlmann, a pillar of power. Daniel Deusser, already a GCL Super Cup winner, is no stranger to pressure, while Max Kühner completes the roster with authoritative consistency. Their potential is undeniable - and their threat, unmistakable.

Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames - The Fearless Force

Momentum, boldness, and synergy define this team. Sophie Hinners and Katrin Eckermann deliver some of the sharpest rounds in the sport, supported by rising powerhouse Anastasia Nielsen [U25] and the dependable championship presence of Janne-Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann. The Stars arrive united, confident, and primed for another deep run in Prague.

Riesenbeck International — A Dynasty Steps Back Into the Spotlight

Prague has already felt the full force of Riesenbeck International. In 2023, they became the first team in history to win both the GCL Championship and the GCL Super Cup in the same season - lifting the trophy in this very arena. That decisive victory was delivered by Christian Kukuk and Philipp Weishaupt, who return to familiar ground in 2025 alongside Marco Kutscher and Maximilian Weishaupt. 

With championship pedigree, past triumph in Prague, and their two GCL Super Cup-winning riders back in the line-up, Riesenbeck arrive with unfinished business - and every intention of reclaiming their crown.

>> Full Riders List <<

The Defending Champions: Stockholm Hearts Powered by H&M We Love Horses

The Hearts return to the GC Playoffs as the reigning 2024 GCL Super Cup Champions, having delivered a remarkable victory last year in Riyadh. Their dominant performance - with Nicola Philippaerts, Olivier Philippaerts, Malin Baryard-Johnsson, and Julien Epaillard - set a new benchmark for composure and class under pressure.

Now the question hangs in the air: can the Hearts repeat their triumph on European soil with an adjusted line-up? Or will Prague crown a new champion?

A Legacy of Fire-Power: The GCL Super Cup Hall of Fame

Since its creation, the GCL Super Cup has established itself as the most dramatic team showdown in show jumping. Past winners include:

2018 – Madrid in Motion

2019 – Shanghai Swans

2021 – London Knights

2022 – Miami Celtics

2023 – Riesenbeck International powered by Kingsland (the first team to win both the Championship and the GCL Super Cup in the same season)

2024 – Stockholm Hearts powered by H&M We Love Horses

Every title has carried its own unforgettable storyline - but the GC Playoffs in Prague is where some of the most iconic GCL Super Cup victories have been forged. And in 2025, the script is wide open.

The Road to Glory: Three Rounds, No Mistakes, One Champion

The 2025 GCL Super Cup remains one of the sport’s most unforgiving formats:

Quarter-Finals: 12 teams enter, only 8 advance.

Semi-Finals: 12 teams jump (the 8 QF survivors + the 4 straight-through teams). Only 6 make the Final.

Final: Six teams, three riders per team, two rounds of pure pressure — and no room for error.

Three nights will decide it all.

Prague Awaits: Where Pressure Meets Greatness

There is no venue in the world like the O2 Arena during the GC Playoffs.

It is where the noise swells, where favourites fall, where rising stars become household names, and where teamwork transforms into something unforgettable.

In 2025, Riesenbeck return to the scene of their greatest triumph.
The Hearts step in as defending champions.
Four powerhouse teams go straight to the Semi-Final.
And every other contender arrives with the singular dream of lifting the GCL Super Cup trophy.

This is where the season reaches its crescendo. This is where legends rise. This is Prague.