St Tropez Pirates Seize the Win in GCL Cannes Thriller

It all came down to 1 second…

The drama was palpable under the floodlights on the French Riviera tonight as St Tropez Pirates rose to the top of the leaderboard in Stage 5 of the 2025 GCL Championship denying the home team Cannes Stars a win by just over a second. Powered by precision, speed, and split-second decision-making, the team edged out the competition in a nail-biting showdown to claim victory at GCL Cannes taking their second podium in two weeks.

Riding for St Tropez Pirates, after a clean sheet in round one from Max Wachman on Fancy de Kergane and Mariano Martinez Bastida with Jup they opted to pull Duarte Seabra off the bench and he delivered the goods with a flawless clear on Dourados 2. An unlucky two down from Mariano Martinez Bastida in the second round left the team as the fastest on eight faults to secre the win. 

All three teams that went into round two on 0 faults finished on the podium with Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames taking valuable Championship points in second with Sophie Hinners and Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann at the helm on Iron Dames my Prins and Messi van 't Ruytershof. Madrid In Motion rounded off the podium in third finishing on Eduardo Alvarez Aznar’s 12 faults but only clears from Kim Emmen and Maikel van der Vleuten in round 1. 

The electric atmosphere and high-stakes energy of the night session in Cannes made for an unforgettable evening, as some of the world’s most elite athletes battled it out just steps from the iconic La Croisette.

Speaking to GCTV, Duarte Seabra of the St. Tropez Pirates couldn’t help but name a lucky charm to their podium two stages in the row, he said: “I think we know the formula… we just need one of the Wachmans in our team. Last time in Madrid we had Tom, and this week we had Max… so it doesn’t matter which one - i think that’s the key now to a podium!”

For the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames, who looked poised to contest the win after Round 1 and lift the trophy on home turf,  a costly rail from each rider  in Round 2 left them just two points adrift in the overall standings. Janne Friederike Meyer Zimmermann reflected on the result over a challenging course:

“It was a fair course, but it was quite challenging and you could have a rail everywhere - from the beginning to the end, so you had to stay super focussed, but, despite our focus, we had the one rail each happen in the second round.”

A gutsy third-place finish from Madrid in Motion once again showcased their steadfast consistency and strategic moves year on year. After finishing on the podium in 2024 and again in 2025 at the Cannes GCL, Eduardo Alvarez Aznar was looking ahead to stage six in St. Tropex, but couldn’t help but reflect on today’s strategy, he told GCTV:

“Well the plan is Kim and me, also Victor Bettendorf is coming.Today was a tough second round and obviously today we didn't make the right decision where the horse that didn't end up jumping for the team was clear.”

The results triggered a major shake-up in the overall GCL standings. Shanghai Swans remain in the lead but the Cannes Stars close the gap to just two points as they sit on 108 points. Valkenswaard United jumped to third place on 94 points while today’s winners St Tropez Pirates catapulted into fourth as they head into their home show next week on 86 points.

The picture-perfect setting of Cannes once again delivered a world-class spectacle – glamour, grit, and greatness wrapped into one unforgettable evening of team show jumping. Round 1 saw a shock elimination of the Doha Falcons after two refusals from Julien Anquetin. Paris Panthers and Monaco Comets powered by Iron Dames wrote themselves out of contention finishing on 20 faults points but the rest of the field was fairly tight with just three rails between 14 teams.

In a night full of tactical changes, fast clears, and heartbreak rails, several teams made strategic swaps between rounds. One of the standout moments came when New York Empire powered by Lugano with just a single time fault keeping them off their second podium of the season, after solid rounds from U25 rider Robert Murphy on Eagle vd Wolfsakker Z and Denis Lynch with Vistogrand to finish fifth. 

Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team know what its like to win under the lights in Cannes. They delivered under immense pressure but a gut wrenching time fault from Fernando Martinez Sommer and High Five left them in fourth place overall. 

There was disappointment for current Championship leaders Shanghai Swans, who suffered from costly rails, falling out of podium contention while Basel Cosmopolitans also dropped down the order after uncharacteristic faults from both riders.

So it was the last three teams to go with all to play for… but it was St Tropez Pirates who held their nerve to land on top of the podium by 1.36 seconds! 

With every point counting toward the all-important qualification for the GCL Super Cup Semi-Final at the GC Prague Playoffs, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Teams continue to jostle for position in the top four, where the path to fast-tracked qualification lies.

The GCL Championship now moves on to Ramatuelle, St. Tropez 12-14 June the glamorous Pampelonne Beach as we charge towards the midpoint of the season and the question begins to rise with the mid-season transfer window opening soon - who will be making strategic changes? With only three events left before teams can strengthen their rosters, every stride from here is crucial.

Watch the full replay and all behind-the-scenes coverage now on GCTV – the best seat in show jumping.