27 A roar went up after his final jump and a huge wave of applause swept through the indoor arena, drowning his own jubilation and lasting long after the next rider had cantered into the ring. Some 9,400 spectators cheered loudly at the Palexpo Arena in Geneva, celebrating their hero like a pop star. Yet, even though Steve Guerdat had just jumped clear over one of the most difficult show-jumping courses in the world, and in the fastest time, the competition was nowhere near to being over. The waiting began. There were still seven riders to go before the winner would be decided. And the suspense would be one of the biggest tests that day for the Swiss Olympic gold medallist. Steve Guerdat and his top horse “Nino des Buissonnets” were the ninth out of 16 world-class pairs to compete in the “Rolex Grand Prix” jump-off at the CHI Geneva. They had already won this same Major in 2013, the debut year of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. Would they manage to take another first step toward a Grand Slam victory today? Seven challengers still stood between Guerdat and winning this Grand Prix. Riding for Portugal, Luciana Diniz was the first of the seven to attempt to outperform Guerdat. Despite an impressive ride, time ran away from Diniz, leaving her in the wake of greatness. Even though it was just a matter of seconds, for Guerdat, who was waiting in the warm-up area, it seemed more like hours. Still six pairs left; Christian Ahlmann picked up four faults, followed by a perfect round by French rider, Simon Delestre. The European Championships bronze medal winner took just three hundredths of a second longer to reach the finish line than Guerdat. The crowd were on the edge of their seats, fearing for their idol’s top position. Four pairs to go. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson from Sweden also jumped clear, but he was not fast enough. Three; Bertram Allen, the Irish star, knocked down three fences. Another two competitors, and it seemed an eternity. Emanuele Gaudiano from Italy didn’t pick up any faults, but he had no chance of matching the fastest time. The last contestant was Kent Farrington. With his victory in the “Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final” two days previously, the championship rider from the United States had already shown that he and his horse “Voyeur” were both in fantastic form. From the very first fence onwards they demonstrated that they could be just as fast – but the clock knows no mercy! In the end, only half a second lay between Guerdat’s victory and Kent Farrington’s fourth place. And so he pulled it off again! The thunderous applause could be heard everywhere, even in the warm-up area. Together, Steve Guerdat and the crowd of enthusiastic supporters celebrated the Major victory, a new beginning with the potential to develop into a stream of successes. For Steve Guerdat the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping had begun again. THE MAJORS 2015 CHI GENEVA 2015
Rolex Grand Slam magazine - Number 4
To see the actual publication please follow the link above