The Inside Track: Part 3

As the season reached its halfway point, new contenders emerged while familiar faces continued to shape the championship race.

Published

03 JUL 2026

Est. reading time

2 min

Leg 4 saw the Archers break through for their first and only Team Competition victory of Season 5.

Alex Matz delivered in the gold medal Jump-Off, defeating Natalie Dean after Callie Schott's double-clear performance helped send the Archers into the championship match. Behind them, the Trelawny Trailblazers extended their remarkable consistency with a fourth consecutive team podium, while Maccabi continued its impressive run with a third straight podium finish after Daniel Bluman secured bronze for the team.

The 5* Grand Prix produced one of the most competitive jump-offs of the season, with 12 riders advancing to the deciding round.

Rene Dittmer and Corsica X claimed their first MLSJ Grand Prix victory, beating Gregory Wathelet by just 0.15 seconds. Shane Sweetnam completed the podium, with less than a second separating the top three finishers. Thanks to another strong all-around performance, the Trailblazers finished Leg 4 atop the overall standings.

Momentum shifted again at Leg 5.

Team Helios returned to the top step of the Team Competition podium for the second time in Season 5. Youngster Tony Stormanns rose to the occasion in the gold medal Jump-Off, defeating Samuel Hutton to secure the victory. The Rainmakers bounced back with a runner-up finish after reaching the championship round behind double-clear efforts from Karl Cook and Skylar Wireman, while the Archers continued their strong run by claiming third.

In the Grand Prix, Nicola Philippaerts stole the show.

Riding the nine-year-old Gadget Mouche, he delivered a spectacular performance to win by just 0.20 seconds in another 12-rider jump-off. Shane Sweetnam earned his second consecutive Grand Prix podium with a runner-up finish, while Kent Farrington added another top-three result aboard Greya.

With Philippaerts' Grand Prix victory combined with another Team Competition podium, the Archers claimed the overall title at Leg 5.

As the League prepared for the second half of the season, one thing had become clear: every stop was producing a different storyline, and the championship race was becoming more competitive with every leg.