The Global Champions League produced another dramatic chapter in central London on Saturday as Mexico Amigos secured their first team victory of the 2026 season after an outstanding performance at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Against one of the sport’s most recognisable backdrops, the contest remained finely balanced throughout two intense rounds before the Mexican outfit edged out a strong challenge from New York Empire powered by Lugano.
GCL London 2026 results.
Packed grandstands and the striking London skyline created a memorable setting for an evening in which every fence carried significance. With several teams separated by only the narrowest of margins, consistency proved decisive as the competition reached its conclusion.
Mexico Amigos finished on just four penalties, with husband-and-wife combination Carlos Hank Guerreiro and Zoe Hank Conter producing the performance that finally earned the team its long-awaited breakthrough victory of the campaign. New York Empire powered by Lugano matched the winners on penalties but finished second after losing out on time, while St Tropez Pirates climbed through the standings to take third on five penalties.
The opening round hinted at just how close the contest would become. Mexico Amigos, Riyadh Knights, Doha Falcons and Shanghai Swans all completed flawless opening performances to share the lead without penalty. St Tropez Pirates remained close behind after collecting only a single time penalty, while several other leading teams entered the decisive round carrying just four penalties.
With only the top ten teams returning for the final round, the pressure increased immediately.
Championship leaders Riesenbeck International powered by Horse Gym were unable to reproduce their recent dominant form. Additional penalties from Marco Kutscher and Maximilian Weishaupt saw the German squad finish sixth overall on 12 penalties.
Valkenswaard United also slipped down the standings after Sandra Auffarth accumulated 12 penalties despite a clear round from Gilles Thomas, leaving the team eighth.
Madrid in Motion remained in contention thanks to a faultless round from Maikel van der Vleuten, but further penalties prevented a podium finish as they ended fifth.
The Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team endured a difficult finale, dropping to ninth after accumulating further faults in the second round.
The battle for victory centred on Mexico Amigos and New York Empire powered by Lugano. Scott Brash recovered from an opening-round mistake with a polished clear, while Mark McAuley again completed his round without fault to leave New York Empire level on four penalties. However, the British-Irish combination could not match the pace set by Mexico Amigos and had to settle for second place.
St Tropez Pirates produced one of the strongest recoveries of the evening. Clear jumping from Piergiorgio Bucci, combined with a controlled performance from Nadja Peter Steiner, lifted the team from fifth after the opening round onto the final podium.
Shanghai Swans also remained in the hunt until late in the competition. Max Kühner maintained his excellent form with another clear round, but additional penalties later in the rotation pushed the team into fourth place.
The Doha Falcons, who had shared the overnight lead after a faultless opening round, endured the biggest setback of the competition as accumulated penalties in the second phase dropped them to tenth.
Mexico Amigos then produced the decisive performance. Zoe Hank Conter completed another flawless round aboard Loui LN, before Carlos Hank Guerreiro incurred only a single rail aboard H5 Diachango Blue PS. Their combined total of four penalties set the target that ultimately proved unbeatable.
Riyadh Knights entered the arena last with victory still within reach after beginning the final round level at the top of the standings. However, faults from both riders ended their challenge and confirmed Mexico Amigos as winners.
The result marks an important milestone in the championship campaign, giving Mexico Amigos valuable momentum as the series moves into its next stage.
The championship now moves to Valkenswaard in the Netherlands, where the battle for the 2026 GCL title is set to continue with the leading teams separated by increasingly narrow margins.
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