On Thursday of Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ week, 49 horse-and-rider combinations entered the iconic International Ring, each chasing the 2025 ATCO Cup crown. In a unique twist, Venezuelan veteran course designer Leopoldo Palacios set the 1976 ‘Masters’ Grand Prix track, testing competitors with a piece of show jumping history, and adding to Spruce Meadows’ 50th anniversary celebrations.

The first round’s standout performance came from France’s in-form Nina Mallevaey and her mare, My Clementine, who delivered a flawless clear in 85.02s. Joining her in the Winning Round were the next nine best partnerships: Americans Laura Kraut and Kyle King, Mexico’s Eugenio Garza Perez, Canadian favourite Mario Deslauriers, three-time Major winner Daniel Deusser of Germany, Belgian duo Nicola Philippaerts and Roy van Beek, Ireland’s rising star Tom Wachman, and Austria’s Max Kühner.

The Winning Round more than lived up to expectations. Only Deslauriers and Wachman picked up faults, while the remaining eight combinations all produced clear rounds within the time allowed. But once again it was Mallevaey – fresh from victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at the Brussels Stephex Masters – who proved untouchable. Guiding her chestnut mare to another faultless round, she stopped the clock at an unbeatable 46.16s. Nearly two seconds quicker than runner-up Garza Perez aboard Victer Finn DH Z, the 25-year-old underlined why she is regarded as the world’s leading U25 rider.

Rounding out the top five were Laura Kraut in third with Tres Bien Z, followed by Philippaerts and Deusser in fourth and fifth respectively.