Back-to-Back GCL Doha Wins for Cannes Stars in Thrilling Season Opener

The 2025 GCL season kicked off in spectacular fashion at Al Shaqab’s Longines Arena, with reigning champions Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames delivering a flawless performance to claim victory once again. Against a fiercely competitive field of 17 teams, they were the only squad to leave every fence intact over two rounds, setting the stage for an electrifying championship battle.

Sophie Hinners produced a perfect double clear on Iron Dames My Prins, while Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann’s single time fault in Round 2 aboard Iron Dames Dubai du Cedre sealed the win. Prague Lions’ Fernando Martinez Sommer with Lady van de Haarterhoeve and Pieter Devos aboard Primo DV secured second, while new team Monaco Comets powered by Iron Dames rounded off the podium with an epic double clear from Edwina Tops-Alexander aboard Fellow Castlefield and an unlucky rail for Jeanne Sadran with Dexter de Kerglenn.

Five teams produced a clear score sheet in round 1, setting up a dramatic Round 2 showdown. With precision, strategy, and horsepower on full display, Scandinavian Vikings, Basel Cosmopolitans, Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team, Monaco Comets powered by Iron Dames, and Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames battled for maximum championship points.

With horsepower depth set to define victory in the tightly contested 2025 championship race, Sophie Hinners and Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann emphasized the vital horse-rider partnership. Janne explained: “With Messi van’t Ruytershof in our stable since he was five and High Level carefully developed, we’ve built strong foundations. But with Dubai, there was a positive shock—knowing the horse can jump it, and I can too, but we have to do it together. It all comes down to partnership. You can buy a horse, but you can’t buy time.”

The 2025 season welcomes the arrival of three new teams to the grid, expanding the championship to 17 teams in total. The Basel Cosmopolitans and Monaco Comets powered by Iron Dames made their much-anticipated debut, adding fresh firepower to an already star-studded lineup of world-class riders and equine talent.

With every point counting towards the GCL championship battle, the intensity was palpable from the start as the world’s best riders and their equine partners sought to make an early statement in their quest for season-long supremacy.

Founder and GCL president Jan Tops praised the winning team for rising to expectations with their back-to-back victory despite fierce competition and challenging courses. He said: “With 17 teams competing in GCL this year, the level of the sport is extremely high. Despite today’s difficult courses, round two was really serious jumping. For the Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames to win back-to-back is an incredible achievement, and I want to congratulate both the team and Deborah. Additionally, seeing the Monaco Comets—also powered by Iron Dames—reach the podium as a brand-new team is remarkable.”

Owner and founder of the Iron Dames project, Deborah Mayer, sat proudly alongside her team at the post-GCL Doha 2025 press conference. Beaming, she said:“It’s an amazing start to the 2025 championship, and winning two years in a row is outstanding. As Jan rightfully said, the round was extremely difficult, with no double clears. To have the honor of standing here with two fantastic teams—Cannes Stars and Monaco Comets—both on the podium in the opening round is exceptional, and I’m extremely proud.”

With razor-thin margins, second-place team Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team missed the top spot due to a single rail. 

Despite the setback, Pieter Devos praised Primo DV’s performance in stage 1 of a long season ahead: “With Fernando jumping an amazing double clear, I’m disappointed as he deserved to be on the top of the podium. But it was Primo DV’s first time in a big outdoor arena at this level, and the rail was completely my fault. However, we’re really very happy to start the season like this.”

The first time on a clean sheet Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames continued their flying form from last season with a double clear from Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames My Prins. Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann was clear over the final fence with Iron Dames Dubai du Cedre but a single time fault was clocked on the score board leaving them waiting nervously to see if they had done enough. 

Their sister team the Monaco Comets powered by Irons Dames were straight after and entered the arena to a round of applause in their bright pink jackets. Edwina Tops-Alexander kicked off her debut for the team with a foot-perfect double clear on Fellow Castlefield while 4 faults for Jeanne Sadran on Dexter de Kerglenn meant it wasn’t going to be a win today but could they hold onto a podium spot…

Speaking of their third place today, Edwina Tops-Alexander spoke of her move to the new team in the championship, and the support around them through the Iron Dames Project. She said, “There is so much support around us, and the team is so motivating - we always want to do our best and are trying to do our best - we’ve seen what is needed to produce these good results from the Cannes Stars.We know that the best horses are put forward in to the GCL and that is certainly going to be our plan for the season to keep this momentum.”

Prague Lions powered by Czech Equestrian Team looked on track to jump the first double clear of the day after Fernando Martinez Sommer on Lady van de Haarterhoeve finished with another 0 but a gut-wrenching late pole from Primo DV put them behind the Cannes Stars as the fastest team on four faults. 

New team on the block brought in team manager for round two, but two down from Andreas Schou on Napoli vh Nederassenthof immediately knocked them off the podium as Jana Wargers delivered the fastest clear of the day riding Dorette OLD. 

Opting not to make any changes to their team lineup for round two last to go Scandinavian Vikings had just a single-time fault in hand. But unfortunately, it didn’t quite go to plan as they handed the win to Cannes Stars after Deirdre Reilly and Derryglen Othello picked up 10 faults even though Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen went clear with Equine America Harwich VDL.

The action continues tomorrow with the exciting new event format for the 2025 season. GCL competition now kicks off the weekend on Day 1, followed by a high-stakes 5* Jump-Off class on Friday at 19:45 local time*, where riders will go head-to-head in a thrilling battle against the clock. The weekend culminates in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha 2025 on Saturday at 20:00, where individual glory and a golden ticket to the GC Prague Playoffs will be on the line.

All eyes for GCL now turn to Mexico City (March 27 - 30, 2025), where the Cannes Stars are poised to maintain their stronghold in the GCL.