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Harrie Smolders & Monaco Light Up Valkenswaard with second LGCT Grand Prix win of 2025
In front of a sold-out, roaring Dutch crowd, it was a storybook home victory for Harrie Smolders and the ever-consistent Monaco as they clinched their second Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix win of the 2025 season in Valkenswaard. The atmosphere was electric as the two-time LGCT Champion delivered the only double clear of the day, rising above a high-stakes, drama-filled showdown.
With just two riders making it through to the jump-off, it all came down to the wire. Nicola Philippaerts, lightning fast and bold aboard Katanga vh Dingeshof, was a mere 0.01 seconds faster than Smolders but heartbreakingly caught two rails – handing the win to the Dutch maestro on home soil in a moment of sheer sporting theatre.
In the shape of his life, 17 year old Monaco is a fan favourite. A visibly emotional Harrie said, “He only gets better the more he is aging and I am so grateful to have him in my string, grateful for my team, grateful for his owners Team Evergrate. He is a once in a lifetime horse”
Talking of the support of his home crowd, Harrie laughed and added, “How they were cheering when I crossed the finish, they thought I had won but I wasn’t so sure! But that support is a fantastic feeling and this is why every day we wake up, every day we work with the horses – and Monaco also feels this!”
Twelve months ago at the Longines Tops International Arena, Harrie Smolders and Monaco finished second in this very LGCT Grand Prix – agonisingly close to victory. But this year, they returned with purpose and went one better, sealing the top spot in front of a jubilant home crowd. Despite the win, the coveted golden ticket to the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix was handed to Nicola Philippaerts, who finished runner-up – Smolders having already secured his place at the season showdown with his win in Cannes. Rounding out the podium was Championship leader Gilles Thomas, whose lightning-fast round 1 with just a single pole down earned third place and extended his lead in the overall standings with yet another podium finish in what’s becoming a sensational 2025 campaign.
Tough competition but with the support of a local crowd, Nicola Philippaerts said: “Harrie and Monaco are one of the best combinations in the world – we tried to give it a go, but we got a fault in the double in the jump off but I am delighted with how she jumped and I am so happy with the second place.” He added “it is a fantastic atmosphere here in Valkenswaard and I love competing here.”
Thinking strategically with the Championship in mind, Gilles Thomas said, “I was thinking to ride a smooth round because if I would’ve had just one down I would still score a lot of points for the overall championship. Unfortunately we did have one down at fence 10, but the last few lines I tried to do it very quickly and my horse is naturally very quick so that helped a lot today.”
After the 10th stage of the 2025 Longines Global Champions Tour Championship in Valkenswaard, Gilles Thomas continues his dominant campaign, extending his lead at the top of the standings with 241 points after yet another podium finish. Andreas Schou jumps into second on 173 points after just missing out on the podium today in 4th place but a great points haul, while Christian Kukuk stays firmly in the title fight, just behind on 162 points. Simon Delestre drops fourth after not qualifying for the LGCT Grand Prix this week in Valkenswaard or London on 158.2 points. Maikel van der Vleuten rounds out the top five with 148.17 points after picking up valuable points again this weekend while two-time LGCT Champion Scott Brash jumps into 6th on 145 points. As the Championship heats up, all eyes now turn to the final stretch with five crucial stages remaining.
As the grandstands filled to capacity and the sun shone over the immaculate grass arena, the Longines Tops International Arena once again delivered the magic of top sport at its finest. A sold-out Dutch crowd created a thunderous atmosphere with every bell, every rail, and every daring gallop to the last. From cheers of encouragement to collective gasps of heartbreak, Valkenswaard was buzzing as the crowd witnessed a rollercoaster of a first round in the 10th stage of the 2025 Longines Global Champions Tour.
Course designer Uliano Vezzani built a track that demanded perfection – and very few came close. Only two riders managed to leave all the fences up, proving just how exacting the challenge was. In total, 14 riders finished with just one rail down, showing the incredible depth of talent yet the ruthless nature of the course with the likes of Chirsitian Kukuk, Cian O’Connor, Ben Maher and Olivier Philippaerts all finishing inside the top 10.
Andreas Schou, first to go with Napoli vh Nederassenthof, was faultless aside from an unlucky rail at fence six. His lightning-quick time meant he led the class for a long stretch, eventually ending just off the podium in fourth place. Philipp Weishaupt experienced a rare moment of drama as Kilmister came to a halt at the very first fence. Undeterred, the German rider picked up and went on to jump clear – albeit with heavy time penalties that kept him out of contention but drew admiration from the crowd.
Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnsson and the ever-popular H&M Indiana looked set for a clear round until the final Longines combination fell. Choosing to retire before the last line, it was a disappointing end for a pair that had the crowd holding their breath. Meanwhile, Gilles Thomas, fighting for his second LGCT Grand Prix win of the season, had fence number 10 down, but his rapid time still secured crucial points in his hunt for the overall title.
So there were only two heading into the jump-off…
First up, the home hero Harrie Smolders and his perfect partner of Monaco. The crowd erupted as he entered the arena. Putting the pedal to the meta,l he set off from before the start line. He kept it smooth and tight from start to finish. As the pair approached the final Longines upright at full speed everyone cheered as they completed clear in 41.05s but had he done enough to stand on top of the podium today…
Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts and Katanga v/h Dingeshof were up on the time by fractions of a second at half way point, the crowd gasped as he took all the risk in the rollback to the Longines double but the pole fell handing the win to Smolders as the last fence fell as well to finish with 8 faults in 41.04s. As the sun dipped behind the grandstands in Valkenswaard, the crowd’s cheers still echoed across the arena, marking the end of an unforgettable evening. Harrie Smolders and Monaco etched their names into the history books once again, with Harrie claiming an emotional second LGCT Grand Prix of Valkenswaard win on home soil. The Longines Global Champions Tour now turns its focus to Italy, with the next stage set in Germany, Riesenbeck from 11 – 14 September 2025.
Longines Global Champions Tour press release
