As of Nov. 30, Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs was ranked number 11 in the world, which meant at the entry deadline, he didn’t qualify for Friday night’s Rolex International Jumper Riders Club Top Ten Final competition in Geneva.
But when number 10, Irishman Conor Swail, couldn’t get transportation for his horses from California to Switzerland, he dropped out and Martin (who was one point behind him in the FEI standings last month) dropped in to the Palexpo arena in his home country.
Martin made the substitution worthwhile, delighting a packed house when he and the Dutch-bred Leone Jei won the $556,702 competition, edging the USA’s Kent Farrington, a two-time Top 10 winner. Third went to Ben Maher of Great Britain, also a previous winner of the prestigious competition, who was double clear but slower than the top two with Point Break.
Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei salute the crowd after victory in the Top Ten class.
“It’s incredible,” said Martin after a victory that was understandably popular with the crowd, which was mostly Swiss. He used the word “fantastic” more than once in describing the achievement, which carried a $178,565 prize for his first victory in six tries competing in the class.
The former European champion called it a “nice win, especially (since) my loyal owner, Adolfo Juri…couldn’t be here tonight because he’s taken to hospital.. So Adolfo, I am sending my best wishes for recovery and say thanks for everything he does for me, for these amazing horses, for his incredible opportunity and for this long-lived partnership.”
Martin noted, “I received a call from Conor Swail on Sunday night saying his flight been cancelled, and that I was therefore in the class and I should try to win it. I carried these words with me for the entire week. I rode my top horse, Leone Jei, for this class because it is one that I really wanted to win. It was a big goal in my career so I am happy that tonight was my night.”
Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei on the way to victory.
The class consisted of two rounds, with faults from the first, which had 15 jumping efforts, carried over to the second, with 10 efforts and the clock ticking down who would win.
Martin’s double clear in a 47.02-second run presented quite a target, and aim was taken by the USA’s Kent Farrington, number four on the FEI ranking list, with the swift Zangersheide mare, Toulayna.
He fell short, however, finishing his fault-free effort in 48.05 seconds and blaming himself for not being able to catch Martin.
“I’m not happy,” said Kent.
“I’m very happy with my horse, I thought she was incredible. I thought I rode not so good.”
He said he got too far out as he pushed for speed and had to add a stride to get to the double combination “and it cost me the class today.”
Kent Farrington and Toulayna.
Kent added ruefully, “Great effort from my horse; she needs a better rider.”
For Sunday’s Rolex grand prix, he will be riding Greya.
“Same rider; hopefully, I do better.”
But things went better for him than for world number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden and his partner, King Edward, the 2022 winners of the Top 10 and the leaders after the first round in the 2024 edition. This year, the combination had 17 clear trips in 24 competitions set at 1.60 meters before Friday’s competition, and they hoped to improve the percentage in Geneva.
The courses for the Geneva Top Ten.
But in the second round, the gelding stopped at a narrow fence with white rails, third from the end of the course laid out by Gerard Lechat of Switzerland and Gregory Bodo, one of the designers of the Paris Olympic routes. Henrik turned King Edward around and jumped the obstacle, but wound up seventh with the Belgian warmblood in 59.13 seconds—just within the 60-second time allowed. The incident was reminiscent of the shocking conclusion to his performance in the individual jumping at the Olympics, when King Edward went one way at a fence and Henrik went the other as they parted company.
“I felt I was a little bit behind on the wall and got one two many strides there,” said Henrik, analyzing why his horse stopped in the Palexpo.
“I knew I had to make it up somewhere, I didn’t get the turn in a good way.”
He noted, however, he had predicted Martin would win, saying wryly, “and he did, so that’s something, anyway.”
On the podium: Martin Fuchs, Kent Farrington and Ben Maher.
The only other U.S. rider in the competition was McLain Ward, fifth with his Olympic horse, Ilex. In the first round, they dropped a rail at the last fence, a vertical, and that scuttled his chances to win.
McLain called it “a little bit of a foolish fault,” noting it involved “a light touch on top (of the rail); frustrating but that’s the game” and he came back with a clear trip in the second round.
He called Ilex a “brilliant partner all year” and will jump him in Sunday’s grand prix.
Geneva is an impressive show, with lots of entertainment and style. The ring looked beautiful, with a miniature lake in the middle and interesting fences, including one topped by models of four Swiss cows. Ben Maher said that intimidated his horse, joking “he’s never seen a cow.”
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