Spectacular participation at the 53rd edition of the Concours Hippique International (CHI) de Genève! The Olympic champions, the World and European champions and the winners of the last five Rolex Grand Prix of CHI Geneva will be riding from 12th to 15th December on the biggest indoor arena in the world. The drivers for the only Swiss leg of the FEI World Cup Driving will be eight, including two Swiss, the accustomed Werner Ulrich and Jérôme Voutaz from Valais with a team composed by Franches-Montagnes. And as the main attraction the french “Garde Républicaine”.
CHI Geneva has again been elected best event in show jumping in the world. It is therefore not by chance if the participation is bustling with talent, a lot of riders wish to be part of the adventure. The creation of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is probably a reason too! All eyes will be on the Belgium Pieter Devos who launched his quest to the Rolex Grand Prix of Show Jumping by winning the Grand Prix of Calgary Spruce Meadows. Will he be able to manage the pressure? Because the competition will be intense with the participation in particular of the Olympic champion Steve Guerdat, supported by the public of Geneva, the World champion, Philippe Lejeune from Belgium or the new European champion, the French Roger-Yves Bost.
The riders, who appreciate the warm welcome they receive in Geneva, are also loyal. Moreover, five of the last winners of the Rolex Grand Prix will be once again in Geneva: The Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander (2012), the Brazilian Alvaro de Miranda Neto (2011), the French Kevin Staut (2010), the Olympic Canadian Eric Lamaze (2008) and the German Ludger Beerbaum (2007), without omitting the American Richard Spooner, winner last year of the Credit Suisse Grand Prix. World class names of show jumping, such as the German Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, the British Michael Whitaker, the Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa or the Swede Rolf-Göran Bengstsson are also on the forefront. All will be riding in the big classes that are part of the program of the 53rd CHI Geneva: the Geneva Classic on Thursday evening, the Credit Suisse Grand Prix on Friday evening, the 3rd Défi des Champions© presented by Rolex on Saturday evening and the Rolex Grand Prix, one of three classes of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, on Sunday afternoon.
Switzerland ready to have a bash
The Swiss delegation will have nine riders in addition to Steve Guerdat, among them Janika Sprunger, Pius Schwizer, Paul Estermann and the young Martin Fuchs, European Team Champion of the Young Riders and the Swiss champion of the Young Riders. Five other riders were designated to ride the classes of the middle tour: Faye Schoch from Fribourg, whose season was very successful, Daniel Etter from Bern and Fabio Crotta, from Tessin. With the nine Wild Cards, won by the regional riders during the season, 24 riders will be able to sing the national anthem in the case of a Swiss victory.