19 G reat words do not write history. The moments do; unique moments that have the power to take even time’s breath away, making it stand still while they unfold. Moments which will be remembered for ever. Scott Brash’s moment came on September 13th, 2015. The cold, damp autumn dew that blanketed the legendary “International Ring” at daybreak was already a sign that the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ final was going to be different from the previous carefree show days. Summer was over all of a sudden. Yet, neither the rain nor the icy breeze managed to deter the thousands of visitors who came to witness how a young man from Great Britain would change the world of equestrian sport. Scott Brash mastered the first round of this Major as effortlessly as the qualification for the “CP International Grand Prix presented by Rolex”. Just like in Aachen, he and his horse-of-the-century, “Hello Sanctos”, delivered the fastest clear round and gained the advantage of being the last pair to ride in the all-decisive final round. Eleven riders competed before him, including the two Belgian show-jumpers, Gregory Wathelet, the reigning vice European Champion, and Pieter Devos, Major winner in 2013; Canada’s national hero Ian Millar, Major winner in 2014; as well as Beezie Madden and McLain Ward from the US. All of them belong to the league of the international elite. However, on that day none of them seemed up to the challenges presented by the course. The poles fell and they all ran out of time. And so his moment approached. Closer and closer. Finally Brash entered the ring. He knew that if he managed to jump clear, he would reach his goal. But he also knew how easily he could fail. Fourteen massive fences lay between him and the Grand Slam title. Fourteen challenges under the pressure of the ticking clock that he was surely hoping would tick a little more slowly for him. The first jump, the second, the third, one after the other, straight to the finish line. All of the poles stayed up! And together with thousands of other people he looked up at the stadium scoreboard. Zero faults. 70.75 seconds. Time stopped. “At that moment when my dream finally came true, lots of different feelings erupted inside me all at once,” he recalls. “The mood, the audience, the atmosphere. Everything was so intense, simply indescribable! This victory means everything to me; I will never forget it.” And neither will anyone else who had the opportunity to experience it with him. The moment when Scott Brash became a living legend in winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. THE MAJORS 2015 CSIO SPRUCE MEADOWS ‘MASTERS’ 2015
Rolex Grand Slam magazine - Number 4
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