Riesenbeck International Rule Valkenswaard as Championship Leaders Deliver Statement GCL Win
Mdmar – GCL – Valkenswaard
Riesenbeck International powered by Horse Gym produced a championship-leading masterclass at the Home of Show Jumping, storming to victory in GCL Valkenswaard with four flawless rounds as the 2026 title race shifted up another gear.
The pressure was high, the margins were tight and the Championship was entering its business end. But under the Friday spotlight at Longines Tops International Arena, Riesenbeck International looked every inch the team to beat.
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Maximilian Weishaupt and Zuccero HV joined forces with Marco Kutscher and Pikeur Lemar NRW to deliver four clears across two rounds, finishing on 0 penalties in 143.35 seconds to take maximum Championship points and strengthen their grip on the overall lead.
Behind them, Madrid in Motion claimed a valuable second place on four penalties, with Maikel van der Vleuten and Victor Bettendorf keeping themselves firmly in the Championship conversation. Istanbul Warriors powered by Carpe Diem Equestrian Team completed the podium after an attacking Round 2 performance from Abdel Saïd and Simon Delestre saw them climb into third.
It was GCL at full throttle: strategy, pressure, speed and Championship consequences unfolding fence by fence.
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The dream team is back with Riesenbeck International powered by Horse Gym’s Marco Kutscher and Maximillian Weishaupt who again claimed top spot on the podium. Marco commented on the quality of their horses and consistency; “The horses are really amazing. The quality of these two horses is outstanding, but today we also rode well enough to deliver two clear rounds each!”
Weishaupt added: “The courses today were super and produced top sport. Wearing these leading team armbands is something we have strived for all season. At this stage, we are all aware that every point counts.”
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After climbing to second place, Madrid in Motion’s Maikel van der Vleuten and Victor Bettendorf reflected on their horses, the strength of the team and their ambitions for the closing stages of the season. “Gibbs was very fresh and had a lot of energy in Round 1, having had a couple of weeks off jumping, so it was great that he jumped both rounds so well today,” said Bettendorf.
Van der Vleuten explained: “We are really chasing a top-four finish in the Championship now, with the GC Playoffs in mind. Every time we enter the arena, we are thinking about maintaining our consistency. With this group of riders and horses, we should be able to achieve our goal – and we will keep pushing for it.”
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Following Istanbul Warriors powered by Carpe Diem Equestrian Team’s third-place finish, which moved the team into second in the Championship, Saïd reflected on the support that helped them recover from a difficult opening round.
“It was an intense day, full of emotion. I was initially very disappointed with my Round 1 performance, but our team picked us up in the group chat. Henrik [von Eckermann] sent a really nice message, as did our team owners Efe and Tolga, and Hasan – everyone was so supportive. We went into Round 2 with the support of everyone, and the time in mind, so we are really very happy.”
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With maximum points secured at Stage 11, Riesenbeck International have opened up a significant advantage at the head of the Championship. The battle immediately behind them, however, could hardly be tighter.
Riesenbeck International powered by Horse Gym – 217 points
Istanbul Warriors powered by Carpe Diem Equestrian Team – 180 points
Basel Cosmopolitans powered by Les Trois Rois – 172 points
Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team – 171 points
Madrid in Motion – 170 points
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Just 10 points separate second from fifth, setting up a fierce fight for position as the Championship heads towards its decisive final stages. Riesenbeck, meanwhile, leave Valkenswaard with a commanding 37-point advantage over Istanbul Warriors – and another 30-point maximum score added to a season that is becoming increasingly formidable.
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Arriving in Valkenswaard with the red leader’s armband and a target firmly on their backs, Riesenbeck International had everything to lose. They responded like Championship leaders.
Round 1 set the tone. Marco Kutscher and Pikeur Lemar NRW stopped the clock in 79.95 seconds without touching a pole before Maximilian Weishaupt and Zuccero HV added another clear in 81.61 seconds.
Zero penalties. Provisional pole position. Job one complete. But with the GCL format offering no room for complacency, everything reset for Round 2.
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Madrid in Motion were applying serious pressure. Victor Bettendorf produced a rapid clear with Gibbs Un Prince, crossing the line in 68.13 seconds, before Maikel van der Vleuten and Jesther added four penalties in 72.02 seconds. Their four-penalty total of 140.15 seconds put the challenge firmly on the table.
Riesenbeck needed clears. Kutscher delivered. Returning aboard Pikeur Lemar NRW, he produced another faultless performance in 70.19 seconds, leaving Weishaupt with the final responsibility. One clear round stood between Riesenbeck and victory.
Zuccero HV never looked like touching a pole. Weishaupt kept his composure, crossed the line clear in 73.16 seconds and immediately sealed another huge result for the Championship leaders.
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Four rounds. Four clears. Zero penalties. Victory.
In a Championship where a single rail can transform the leaderboard, Riesenbeck had produced the equestrian equivalent of a lights-to-flag win.
Behind the leading two, Istanbul Warriors delivered one of the performances of the second round.
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They had work to do after Round 1 left them carrying eight penalties, but Abdel Saïd and Wathnan Zasou Vom Claashof came out firing, producing a clear in a lightning-fast 64.58 seconds.
Simon Delestre followed aboard Gatsby du Tillard, knowing another clear could send the Warriors flying up the order.
He delivered exactly that. Clear in 66.77 seconds, the Warriors stopped the Round 2 clock at 131.35 seconds – the fastest of the leading teams – to secure third place on eight penalties and, crucially, 21 Championship points.
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Behind the podium, the leaderboard was constantly moving. Doha Falcons finished fourth on eight penalties after Caroline Rehoff Pedersen and Bassem Mohammed took on Round 2, while New York Empire powered by Lugano secured fifth, also on eight after leading from round 1.
The home squad, Valkenswaard United bought in Edwina Tops-Alexander and Sandra Auffarth for Round 2 with work to do, and while Auffarth and Quirici H delivered a valuable clear, Tops-Alexander’s eight faults aboard Caetlin vd Heffinck Z left the team sixth on 12 penalties.
Mexico Amigos followed in seventh, ahead of Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team in eighth and Rome Gladiators powered by Cavalleria Toscana in ninth.
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For Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames, meanwhile, elimination in Round 2 ended their hopes of a significant points haul after a dismount at the final fence for Katrin Eckermann. It was another reminder of the ruthlessness of the GCL Championship: fortunes can change in seconds, and at this stage of the season, every rail carries a price.
The sport may have provided the headline, but Valkenswaard delivered the atmosphere to match. On a day dedicated to celebrating 10 years of GCL, the Longines Tops International Arena became a sea of team colours as fans backed their favourites at the spiritual home of the Championship.
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Set against the venue’s sweeping grass arena, the combination of elite sport and entertainment created a festival feel around the showground. From the shopping village and food and drink to DJs, roaming entertainment and activities for younger fans, the action extended far beyond the competition arena.
But once the GCL teams entered the ring, the mood changed. This was top sport with consequences. Team tactics were tested, horse changes came into play, riders attacked the clock and Championship points became the only currency that mattered.
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And when the pressure reached its highest point, the team already leading the Championship delivered again.
There is little time to reset. Next stop: Vienna. The GCL Championship now heads to the Austrian capital for Stage 12, and while Riesenbeck International have created breathing room at the top, the chasing pack is anything but settled. Istanbul Warriors sit second. Basel Cosmopolitans are eight points behind them. Prague Lions are one point further back. Madrid in Motion are another single point behind.
Riesenbeck International have laid down the benchmark in Valkenswaard. Now the question is simple: Who can catch them?
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The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
