Global Champions League’s (GCL) only all-female team reclaimed the championship lead at stage 10 in Monaco on Friday with their third win of the season.

The team won both the season opener in Doha and stage six in St. Tropez and have lead the standings for most the season, but saw their lead slip after stage eight.

“It is really incredible. We had a little meeting before the first course walk where you asked me what our plan was, I said ‘to fight back’, and I think we did!” said Kim Emmen.

Cannes Stars is powered by the Iron Dames, an initiative spearheaded by Deborah Mayer to promote and support women in sports where they compete on equal terms with men. Launched in motorsport in 2018 (Mayer is a former driver), The Iron Dames driving team became the first all-female team to win a race in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023. The initiative has now expanded into equestrian sport with the Cannes Stars.

The founding equestrian team is made up of 2012 Olympian Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann (GER) along with countrywomen Sophie Hinners and Katrin Eckermann. The Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen and Kim Emmen and USA’s Natalie Dean complete the six.

In Monaco, the pink ladies were represented by U25 rider Hinners on Iron Dames Singclair and Emmen on Imagine.

Just two teams produced double clears in round one of Uliano Vezzani’s tight and technical course and two more sat closely behind on a single rail.

Prague Lions took the lead in round two with a double clear, putting pressure on Cannes Stars.

Hinners answered the call with a lightning clear and Emmen held her nerve in the tightest arena of the season coming home on a clean sheet with Imagine to clinch the win—by five seconds. The kiss and cry erupted with cheers.

Cannes Stars top GCL Championship standings once again, now with 199 points, followed by Stockholm Hearts on 193 points and Doha Falcons on 182 points.

GCL next heads to Germany in two weeks for Round 11, July 18 – 21.

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