SWEDEN’S Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Indiana took a sensational second Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix win after a breathtaking jump-off in Ramatuelle, Saint Tropez on Saturday.

A delighted Malin Baryard-Johnsson spoke of her special horse: “I am so proud, I am so happy, H&M Indiana is just amazing. Every win is emotional but having everyone here today behind me makes me even happier if that is possible!

“I had to take risks because the ones before me were really fast but I had my really good coach with me Marlon Zanotelli who was there with me in Rome as well when I won and he really pushed me. And we did it.”

Talking about her qualification for the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix, she smiled: “I would like to win a few more but I am really happy there is already three girls qualified for the Super Grand Prix out of five which is a great number.”

Gregory Bodo’s testing course demanded perfection and no room for error with a challenging Longines triple combination, plus a tricky double that fell at the lightest of touches. But there were success stories as the clear rounds mounted up with 12 world-class combinations making it through to the intense jump-off.

France’s Jeanne Sadran was jumping her first ever LGCT Grand Prix and qualified for the jump-off where, first to go, it got a bit sticky and the pair finished with 16 faults overall.

Next up, Pieter Devos fighting for the Championship lead, a golden ticket to Prague and the win he was clear and quick with Mom’s Toupie de la Roque to throw down the gauntlet in 36.77s.

Then one after another the lead kept changing by fractions of a second. Jérôme Guery and Grupo Prom Diego were superbly fast, stopping the clock in 36.08. They didn’t stay in the lead for long as compatriot Abdel Said punched the air and let out a huge cheer revving the crowd up as he crossed the finish line in 35.62.

Just when spectators thought that it couldn’t get any faster, USA’s Spencer Smith and his 2021 LGCT Grand Prix winning horse Theodore Manciais shifted things up a gear with fantastic tight turns to make up time, throwing everything at the last line to claim the lead for now in 35.35.

Both Niels Bruynseels and Christian Ahlmann each had two rails down collecting eight faults and pushing them down the order.

Harrie Smolders and Monaco then took over the lead in a time of 35.09 but a win was not guaranteed with some of the biggest names in the sport still to go.

Christian Kukuk and Checker had a fault at the first fence immediately putting him out of contention for the win and handing the lead in the Championship to Devos.

Attempting to make it back-to-back Swedish winners in St Tropez, Malin Baryard-Johnsson took on the challenge with H&M Indiana. A daring gallop to the last saw them break the beams in 34.71 seconds and go straight to the top of the leaderboard.

The remaining combinations could not beat that time and so Malin booked her ticket to Prague.

In the Global Champions League, the Prague Lions’ pair of Niels Bruynseels and Pieter Devos took home the win in an edge-of-your-seat competition.

Bertram Allen was Ireland’s only representative in the five-star division and his best result came in the opening 1.45m when he was runner-up aboard the 10-year-old mare Emmylou.