Form served as a predictor of success in Royal Windsor Horse Show’s CSI 5* Rolex grand prix, where Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet and his magnificent stallion Bond Jamesbond De Hay elevated their game from last year’s close second place to take the €125,000 (£105,000) first prize.
“I don’t think there is another show where I have had so much success in a 5* grand prix,” said Gregory, who also won this showpiece class in 2022 with Nevados S. “I don’t think there are many times riders win a 5* grand prix more than twice.”
The contest was far from a foregone conclusion, however, as several of the favourites fell by the wayside, including Martin Fuchs (SUI), who was denied his third consecutive victory when he tallied an uncharacteristic 12 penalties in the first round with Commissar Pezi.
Ten first round clears from Bernardo Costa Cabral’s track paved the way for a thrilling decider that kept the crowd on a rollercoaster until last draw.
Class favourite Ben Maher, second-to-go with Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossiters’ brilliant 11-year-old stallion Point Break, went all-out to regain the title he claimed with Explosion W in 2021, and almost again in 2023, but the horse had a moment of indecision when he went to pick up on eight strides on the final distance — where most other combinations went on nine or 10 — and crashed through the last fence.
British line up fly the flag
Both horse and rider exited unscathed, but it was left to the remaining Brits in the jump off: Harry Charles (Sherlock), Rob Whitaker (Vermento), Joe Stockdale (It’s Confidential) and Irishman Billy Twomey (Jumping Jack Van De Kalevallei) to fly the flag.
Harry and his 12-year-old 2024 London Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix victor may have added some strides on the distances but they still managed to surge into the lead in 37.70sec, undercutting an early target set by Billy by 2.46sec.
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“I messed up a bit and rode the 10 strides from one to two when I was trying to do the nine and then I added one back to the oxer, but I thought the round was pretty good,” said Harry. “Sometimes it works better to add as you can get a better landing and a better turn to the next fence.”
Harry Charles (GBR) and Sherlock achieve their best Royal Windsor Rolex grand prix result in third
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Their reign was short lived, as next into the ring Harrie Smolders (NED), with the highly consistent 16-year-old Monaco, crossed the line in 37.24sec to take the advantage.
A bold effort from Rob Whitaker and his 2023 King George V winner Vermento was within the ball park, clocking 37.86sec for eventual fourth, but it was Gregory in dangerous final draw who managed to find the extra millimetres, stopping the clock with just 0.06sec in hand.
“My horse is getting faster and faster”
“It’s always an advantage to be at the end where you can see the others and you know what you have to do,” Gregory said. “I know that my horse has improved with his speed and is getting faster and faster and he enjoys it.
“I knew I could take some strides out, which I did from one to two, and on the last distance, which I didn’t manage, and I took some risks to the double.
“This horse has been going well everywhere for the last 12 months and has always been clear apart from maybe two grands prix where he had one down. These kind of jump offs suit him, where you can take strides out [as he’s a big horse], it’s easier for me to go fast.”
Harrie Smolders found himself in the familiar position of runner up.
“We’ve seen a fantastic class today, a good amount of clears and an exciting jump off, right until the last rider and last jump,” he said.
“My horse is very familiar with second places. I had watched Ben’s round and my horse is a similar size and stride, so I made my game plan from that.
“Here and there I could have gone a touch faster and I perhaps left a little gap. I think Gregory’s horse in this size of ring has a bigger advantage and that made the slight difference.”
It was the best result in this grand prix to date for Harry Charles, whose third place ranked him as best of the Brits.
“Sherlock is my best horse now, I have had him since a four-year-old and I was very happy with the way he jumped today,” he said. “I thought it was a difficult but great course and I very proud of how he handled the first round and the jump off.”
It was also a coup for his father Peter, who had three riders under his guidance perform well, with Harry’s youngest sister Sienna (Stardust) posting just four faults in the first round on only her second attempt at this level, while Eve Jobs (USA) jumped double clear for seventh with Canto Bruno.
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