The third Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of the calendar, the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament, concluded this afternoon with the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Thirty-nine horse and rider combinations, who had qualified across the first four days of the Major, took to the International Ring in the hope of etching their names on the coveted trophy. Among them was Rolex Testimonee Richard Vogel, whose victories in the Rolex Grands Prix at The Dutch Masters and TSCHIO Aachen put him in a historic position to become only the second rider ever to claim the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

Held over two rounds, with a jump-off if riders were tied on penalties, the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, is one of the sport’s most demanding tests, requiring not only athleticism and courage but also the highest levels of trust and harmony between horse and rider.

The typically imposing first-round course, designed by the highly experienced Leopoldo Palacios, consisted of 13 obstacles, including three combinations. It provided the ultimate test for this year’s field, which featured nine previous Major winners with 24 Major victories between them, alongside seven of the World’s Top 10 riders.

The first clear round came from the tenth combination to enter the arena, New Zealand’s Katie Laurie riding Django II. The next clear came from Brazil’s Yuri Mansur, who delivered a superb performance aboard the 19-year-old QH Alfons Santo Antonio as the 26th combination to enter the arena. In total, seven riders delivered faultless rounds, including Rolex Grand Slam live contender Richard Vogel, Lillie Keenan and Daniel Coyle. With the 12 best-placed partnerships from round one progressing to the second round, those who produced quick four-fault rounds also kept their names in contention. These riders included three-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher and the newly crowned individual FEI World Champion Steve Guerdat.

Returning in reverse order of merit, Germany’s Christian Kukuk was the first to re-enter the International Ring. However, an additional fence down left him on a total of eight faults. Steve Guerdat was next to jump and produced a foot-perfect clear, as did Ben Maher, leaving both riders on four faults and putting pressure on the remaining faultless combinations. None of the seven partnerships that had jumped clear in the first round were able to produce a double clear. However, Katie Laurie, Roy van Beek, Richard Vogel and Lillie Keenan each had just one fence down, resulting in a six-horse jump-off and leaving the crowd in suspense as Vogel’s bid to make history remained alive.

Guerdat set an early standard with a clear round in a time of 42.25 seconds in the jump-off. However, next to go, Maher and Enjeu De Grisien took more than a second off the Swiss rider’s time to claim the provisional lead. Heartbreak followed for Vogel, the penultimate rider to jump, when the second element of the double fell, bringing his quest for the ultimate prize in the sport to an end. Only Keenan, last to go, could beat the British rider’s time, but she ultimately crossed the finish line just 0.45 seconds slower, meaning that Ben Maher claimed his first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major victory.

Speaking on his victory, Maher stated: “It is incredible to win one of the Rolex Grand Slam Majors and begin my journey with victory in what we all consider one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Grands Prix in the world. It is an amazing venue with an incredible atmosphere. I have been coming here since I was younger and have always felt that winning here represents a truly significant achievement.”

The new Rolex Grand Slam live contender continued: “We have been knocking on the door for the past two years, but recently things have not gone to plan on the final day. I have an incredible team. My family, owners and everyone around me have supported me throughout, so they deserve this victory too. Enjeu [De Grisien] is an incredible horse – he is energetic and never seems to tire. It is great to have this result together.”