June 15, 2026 
Less than a year after making history as the youngest-ever winner of an LGCT Grand Prix in Rabat at the age of 19, Monaco’s Anastasia Nielsen has proven she’s no mere flash in the pan.
The CSI5* LGCT Grand Prix of Ramatuelle, St. Tropez on Saturday, June 13 was a U25 showdown of sorts, with just two riders in the field of 40 starters—Nielsen, 20, aboard ESI Rocky; and Thibeau Spits, 25, riding Impress-K van’T Kattenheye Z—solving the puzzle of Uliano Vezzani’s (ITA) technical first round course.
“I honestly have no words. I’m so happy. I was so grateful for jumping clear in the first round—it was a tough track. I haven’t jumped that many five-star classes with Rocky, but he’s an unbelievable fighter, and he just tries everything to make everything possible.”
Indeed, ESI Rocky is so-far proving to be a solid partner for Nielsen, who took over the ride on the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding from 23-year-old Seamus Hughes Kennedy (IRL) last October.
Hughes Kennedy—who produced Rocky from his 5-year-old season—took double-gold with the gelding at the FEI European Championships for Young Riders in 2023, later parlaying their success into a fifth-place individual finish at the Longines FEI Jumping European Championships last year. In fact, in their debut senior championship appearance, the pair picked up only a single time penalty in five rounds of competition.
Needless to say, hopes have been high for Nielsen and the power-house gelding from the start, and they haven’t disappointed. On Saturday, Nielsen followed up their first-round clear by keeping every rail in the cups in the nine-effort jump-off, throwing down the gauntlet for Spits on a time of 43.55 seconds.
Despite a valiant effort, the Belgian rider pulled a rail coming out of the jump-off’s double-combination, stopping the clock at 45.59 seconds, and securing a second-place finish. Austrian’s Max Kühner, who was the fastest four-faulter in Round 1, took third with EIC Up Too Jacco Blue.
“Anastasia did exactly what she had to do. I think it was beatable, but I couldn’t just go for a clear round—I had to try,” said a gallant Spits—who also earned a GCL podium finish this weekend with the Prague Lions—after the class. “In the end, maybe I underestimated one line a little bit, but I knew I had to give it a go. Anastasia really deserved the win today.”
This is likely not the last showdown we will see between these two, accomplished 25-and-under riders—both mounted on seasoned, championship-caliber 11-year-old mounts in their prime which are among the most talented the sport has to offer.
And they both have the support and backing required to make their partnerships count.
Spits comes from a family of riders based at his international rider-father Patrick Spits’s breeding farm near Mechelen, Belgium. Nielsen, meanwhile, joined the Iron Dames squad as the U25 rider for the Cannes Stars in 2023, and currently trains with Irish Grand Prix rider Cameron Hanley.
In just nine rounds so far together at 1.60m with ESI Rocky, Nielsen jumps clear at a 44% clip according to Jumpr. Spits, for his part, maintains a standout 52% clear rate in 58 rounds at the same height with the Zangersheide stallion Impress-K van’T Kattenheye Z.
“Winning the LGCT 5* Grand Prix of Ramatuelle with Rocky is an incredible achievement and a moment I’ll never forget,” Nielsen wrote on Instagram after her victory. “Safe to say my first champagne shower in St. Tropez lived up to expectations.”
