The Spanish capital bore witness to a major turning point in the show jumping season as Ioli Mytilineou delivered a breathtaking ride to clinch her first 5* Grand Prix title at the 2025 Longines Global Champions Tour in Madrid. With precision and pace, she and her remarkable mount, L’Artiste de Toxandra, soared to victory in a fiercely contested jump-off, outshining a field packed with experienced competitors.
The victory didn’t come easy. Mytilineou faced a formidable challenge from Germany’s Marco Kutscher and his ever-reliable partner, Aventador S, who settled for second place despite a near-perfect round. Their effort, however, was not enough to match the intensity and speed Mytilineou brought under Madrid’s glowing skies. Rounding out the top three was Hans-Dieter Dreher, whose clean and methodical ride on Elysium once again highlighted the gelding’s consistent form this season.
At the iconic Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric. The jump-off, designed to test technical ability and nerve, turned the spotlight on elite riders and their steeds. The course, crafted by Santiago Varela Ullastres, proved especially testing, with only seven riders advancing past the initial round unscathed.
Each competitor brought their own strategy to the final challenge. Early favorite Kent Farrington set a blazing pace but paid the price with two rails down. Ireland’s Cian O’Connor and Belgium’s Pieter Devos put in strong efforts, but neither could rival the explosive blend of speed and control demonstrated by Mytilineou.
With one of the cleanest and fastest performances of her career, Mytilineou’s triumph marked a moment of redemption after narrowly missing out on past LGCT podiums. Her emotional response in the aftermath underscored what the win meant, especially after previously coming so close in A Coruña. As she now turns her sights on Prague and the LGCT Super Grand Prix, her victory in Madrid becomes a defining milestone in her journey.
The jump-off drama was amplified by the unpredictability that unfolded. Defending champion Christian Kukuk suffered a fall that ended his title defense prematurely, while several top names, including Jérôme Guery and Simon Delestre, were caught off guard by the track’s complexity earlier in the round. The course, while fair, exposed even the smallest missteps, eliminating many of the sport’s biggest names.
As the fourth leg of the 2025 season wrapped up, the Championship leaderboard saw a shakeup. Belgium’s Gilles Thomas emerged as the new frontrunner, thanks to his steady collection of points across previous stages. Meanwhile, Edwina Tops-Alexander slipped to second, and Ireland’s Denis Lynch remained close behind in third, all setting the stage for more unpredictability in the races to come.
With the tour next heading to the French Riviera for the Cannes leg, the momentum from Madrid is sure to carry forward. For Ioli Mytilineou, however, the focus is clear: building on her success and making the most of the golden opportunity that lies ahead in Prague.