At the foot of the Iron Lady, you needed cool nerves, talent and a horse capable of swallowing fences the way others swallow croissants. On Saturday evening in Paris, Max Kühner and EIC Up Too Jacco Blue ticked every box. Thanks to a smoothly executed jump-off, the Austrian claimed the Grand Prix of Paris, succeeding Gilles Thomas on the roll of honour. In the process, Kühner also moves himself back into the race for the overall standings.

The long-awaited return to the top

Paris loves a script with impact. Between the packed stands of the Champ-de-Mars and the Eiffel Tower in the background, the stage was set for a box-office hit. All that was missing was the hero.

His name was Max Kühner.

Paired with EIC Up Too Jacco Blue (Chacco-Blue x Douglas), the Austrian rider produced one of only four clear rounds in the first round before completing his jump-off in 38.36 seconds.

For Kühner, this victory carried a special flavour.

The Austrian had not tasted the top step of an LGCT Grand Prix podium for quite some time, since Ramatuelle–St Tropez in 2024. Consistent, often placed, but rarely rewarded in recent months, he found in Paris that little extra something that turns a good weekend into a great evening.

And the timing could not be better.

Because beyond the trophy, this victory also opens the door to the Super Grand Prix in Riyadh, the season-ending showdown reserved for the year’s winners. A qualification that inevitably changes the outlook on his sporting season.

Denis Lynch, Olivier Perreau: the chasers were not far behind

Behind the winning pair, the battle was tight.

The Irishman Denis Lynch and Cordial confirmed their consistency by taking second place with another double clear, completed in 39.89 seconds.

Third place went to the French rider Olivier Perreau, carried by a crowd firmly on his side. With GL Events Dorai d’Aiguilly, he too produced a clear jump-off, finishing just a few hundredths behind Lynch.

Enough to give the Paris crowd a high-level international podium and its dose of French emotion.

The overall standings are tightening up

Beyond the result of the day, this Paris leg could weigh heavily in the title race.

After seven legs of the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour, Kühner climbs to second place in the overall standings, sandwiched between Saïd (five points ahead) and Eckermann (eight points behind)

In other words: nothing is decided.

And with Monaco looming on the horizon, the championship is entering that part of the season where every rail, every turn and every hundredth of a second starts to count double.

Paris has delivered its verdict. Max Kühner has rediscovered the taste of victory, EIC Up Too Jacco Blue has moved back among the most competitive horses on the circuit, and the Longines Global Champions Tour now has a new credible contender for the title.

The Eiffel Tower lit up, as it does every evening. This time, the wonder was also for an Austrian rider.

Find the full results of the LGCT Grand Prix of Paris here.

Photos ©LGCT/Ljuba Buzzola