A veteran and a newcomer took the big classes at the Rolex Geneva Switzerland show over the weekend, with Steve Guerdat and Richard Vogel showing their prowess at one of the world’s toughest competitions.
Swiss star Steve Guerdat won the International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 final for the third time in his career on Friday in Geneva with the only double clear aboard Venard de Cerisy.
“I am very excited – it is unbelievable to win this incredible class for the third time,” Steve said after his victory.
Steve Guerdat shows love for the IJRC trophy. (Tiffany van Halle photo)
“It is truly extraordinary. I have had so much success at this amazing show – but it keeps surprising me! The crowd was amazing and the atmosphere at the CHI Geneva is exceptional, this moment means so much to me.”
He added, “Venard was incredible – he has been such a great horse for me and I am so proud of him. This win would not be possible without my team – they really deserve this win as much as me.”
The class was open to the top 10 ranked riders in the world, over a course designed by Gerard Lechat. Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden, world number one, had a rail in the second round with King Edward to finish second. His time of 48.52 seconds also was slower than Steve’s 48.13.
Third went to the only U.S. representative, Kent Farrington, who is also number three in the world. He had a rail in the first round with Greya, but recouped in the second round with a slow and careful clear in 54.80 seconds.
The Geneva show’s closing feature on Sunday, the Rolex Grand Prix, was won by the up-and-coming Richard Vogel of Germany on United Touch S.
Richard Vogel and United Touch S. (Photo by Tiffany van Halle)
The German rider said: “I am very close with McLain Ward (2022’s grand prix winner), and I watched the whole jump-off from last year last night – I knew that to win here you would have to be fast, and so even though I was first to go, I decided to really push for it.”
He topped the jump-off in 37.14 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Mark McCauley of Ireland on GRS Lady Amaro (39.77).
The USA’s Jessica Springsteen finished sixth in the seven-horse tie-breaker on Don Juan van de Donkhove, logging eight faults. The other U.S. rider in the class, Kent Farrington, had a rail in the first round with Greya and was fourteenth.
McLain Ward qualified for the 2023 IJRC top 10. But he elected to go instead to the Desert Circuit in California where there was a $1 million class. He had no luck, however, and retired Contagious in the class. His place in the top 10 in Switzerland was taken by Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam, world number 11, who finished sixth with a 0/8 score on James Kann Cruz. He was 18th in the grand prix.
Click here for results for the IJRC top ten.
Click this link for Rolex Grand Prix results
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