Olympic champion Steve Guerdat has won the CHI Geneva grand prix — setting himself up as a contender for the €1m Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping.
A home crowd of more than 9,500 cheered on Steve and Nino Des Buissonnets yesterday (Sunday 15 December).
He was one of 10 riders to make it through to the jump-off. His time of 43.26s was only briefly threatened by world number one Scott Brash — who produced a clear round just 0.32s behind him on Hello Sanctos.
“Nino has won so much already since the Olympics — he is not jumping a lot but every time he goes out he is in the top and again today. He is just in a class of his own,” said Steve.
Alban Poudret, of CHI Geneva, added: “When Steve wins, it’s a big gift, because he is the rider of the show.
“To have him winning, it’s really a dream come true, but I think he is even better when he has big pressure. He has won eight major grands prix in Geneva in nine years, it’s incredible. The bigger the pressure, the better he is!”
The Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping was introduced this year and combines the CHIO Aachen, the CSIO Spruce Meadows and CHI Geneva. A rider who wins all three receives a €1m bonus.
