Stars of the Show: The Numbers Behind One of the LGCT of Madrid
Thirteen editions in, no rider has ever won the LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid twice, and this year's field suggests that record is about to be seriously tested.
A Venue That Has Grown Into Something Special
Since Madrid joined the Longines Global Champions Tour calendar in 2013, it has steadily built a reputation as one of the most prestigious stops on the circuit. The numbers tell the story: the Elo field strength, the gold standard measure of competition quality in show jumping, has risen almost every single year, from 685 at the inaugural edition to a record high of 726 in 2025, ranking that edition among the top 5 strongest LGCT Grand Prix fields of all time.
In thirteen editions, Madrid has produced thirteen different winners. Not one rider has managed to win this Grand Prix twice, a remarkable statistic that speaks to the relentless depth of competition the venue attracts year after year. That streak is on the line again this week.
What the Course Demands
The Madrid Grand Prix is not for the faint-hearted. Across its history, just 21% of starters in Round 1 have gone clear, one of the tougher opening round statistics on the entire circuit. When a Jump-Off is reached, it has produced clear rounds 58% of the time, meaning the course regularly forces riders to choose between caution and glory.
The toughest edition on record came in 2023, when only one horse, Edwina Tops-Alexander and Fellow Castlefield, jumped clear in Round 1. In 2015, Luciana Diniz and Winningmood were the only combination to go clear in the Jump-Off, winning the Grand Prix in a class of their own. That same Winningmood is one of the most extraordinary stories in Madrid's history: four rounds jumped at this venue across its career, four clear rounds, a perfect record.
Horses That Have Left Their Mark
Four horses have recorded multiple podiums at Madrid: Rokfeller De Pleville Bois Margot, who was retired at this very venue in 2025, alongside Verdi TN, Misanto Pret A Tout, and VDL Cartello. Each of them has competed at the sharp end of the sport's biggest occasions, and each returned to Madrid more than once to prove it was no accident.
Then there is the story of Explosion W. It was in Madrid in 2018 that Ben Maher and his then-nine-year-old jumped their very first 5* Grand Prix win together. That was just the beginning. Explosion W went on to win 16 CSI5* Grands Prix, claim individual Olympic gold at Tokyo 2021, and retire in December 2025 at London's International Horse Show in front of a sell-out crowd. Madrid was where it all started.
The King of Madrid: Maikel van der Vleuten
If one rider owns this venue statistically, it is Maikel van der Vleuten. No rider has started more LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid editions (11), and no rider has more Grand Prix podiums at this event (4). Since 2013, Maikel has accumulated 15 podiums across all 5* classes at this venue, and leads all riders with 12 clear rounds in 160cm classes here, a tally matched only by Marcus Ehning, who is not in the field this year.
Alongside him this week is Beauville Z N.O.P., the top-rated horse-and-rider combination in the entire field with an Elo of 767. In 122 rounds together at 5* 160cm level, they have gone clear 68 times, a career clear rate of 56%. This record places Beauville Z among a very select group: only six horses in global records since 2010 have jumped more clears at CSI5* 160 level. Maikel arrives not just as the most experienced Madrid competitor, but as the in-form favourite.
The Form Combination: Thibeau Spits & Impress-K Van't Kattenheye Z
If Maikel is the headline name, Thibeau Spits is the story of the season. The Belgian combination of Spits and Impress-K Van't Kattenheye Z have posted three starts, three clears, and three Top 5 finishes in 5* Grands Prix in 2026, a perfect record. Their most recent outing together was a Grand Prix win in Fontainebleau just three weeks ago. Impress-K ranks among the top 20 rated horses in the world, and his Elo of 766 makes them the second-ranked partnership in the field, a single point behind Maikel and Beauville Z. They are LGCT Grand Prix winners together, having taken the title in Riesenbeck in 2024, and they arrive in Madrid with the kind of momentum that is very hard to argue with.
Madrid Will Deliver
It always does. A course that punishes hesitation, a field that leaves no room for complacency, and a title that has never been successfully defended, Madrid has all the ingredients for another unforgettable Sunday evening. Eduardo Alvarez Aznar arrives with an entire city behind him. Maikel van der Vleuten arrives as the man who knows this venue better than anyone alive, paired with one of the greatest horses in the world right now. Thirteen editions have produced thirteen stories worth telling. The fourteenth is about to begin.