Prince Albert II and the Princess of Hanover have watched on as French rider Inès Joly secured a victory at the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco.
The Longines Global Champions Tour took place from 4th to 6th July in Port Hercule, with Prince Albert II and the Princess of Hanover attending the awards ceremony on the evening of 6th July.
French rider Inès Joly delivered a stunning performance to win the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco. Riding Ambassador Z, Joly outperformed Austrian Max Kühner, the current Longines Global Champions Tour leader, in an unexpected victory.
Joly, ranked 294th in the world, secured her most significant career win on the 10-year-old gelding Ambassador Z, a horse she began riding only at the start of the year. This victory comes after the French rider’s performances earlier this year, including a sixth-place finish in Doha with Caliope de L’Abbaye.
The Grand Prix, offering a prize fund of €1.5 million, saw Joly taking home €495,000. In the jump-off, she faced Kühner, who was significantly ahead of time until a fault on the final obstacle cost him the win.
“It’s completely surreal to compete in such a challenging arena with a horse I’ve only known for a short time and against the best riders in the world is incredible,” said Joly after securing the win.
Max Kühner, who recently triumphed in Saint-Tropez, remains at the top of the overall circuit standings, now holding a 16-point lead over Denmark’s Andreas Schou and a 46-point lead over Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar.
In the selective first round at Port Hercule, Joly and Kühner were the only riders to complete without faults. French rider Nina Mallevaey, on Dynastie de Beaufour, finished third. Jeanne Sadran, riding Dexter de Kerglenn, claimed the fourth place.
“Show jumping has earned its place among the major events of the Principality”
Diane Fissore, president of the competition and the Fédération Équestre de la Principauté de Monaco, said, “We were thrilled to see the stands filled and to witness high-level riders on the course, both in the 5-star and 2-star events.”
“In the National competition, we also had many young Monegasque riders, which is very encouraging for the future. Show jumping has earned its place among the major events of the Principality, with the princely family attending each evening,” Fissore continued.
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