Congratulations! You are the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping live contender, how are you feeling ahead of the CHIO Aachen?

It is an honour to be on the list of riders who have won a Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major. It is incredible to ride at the CHIO Aachen, and it would be a dream come true to win there. Of course, there is more pressure and more eyes on us now being the live contender, having won the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters, but I am trying to just focus on my horses and keep everything the same as before.

Reflecting on your win in the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters – how special was this victory to you?

At the time I didn’t notice it because you are so focused on your horse and the moment. It was a very emotional win! The crowd was incredible, and the atmosphere was sensational. As a rider, you dream of those moments, and afterward, you really realise how special a moment it was. It was even more special in the way that it happened – not only being a Dutch rider but also being the last one to go and to beat Henrik [von Eckermann] by such a fine margin. It is a win that I will never forget.

Highway TN N.O.P. is an incredible horse – can you tell us a little bit more about him?

Highway [TN N.O.P.] is an approved stallion by Team Nijhof. I started riding him when he was seven-years-old. He has an incredible attitude and the heart of a lion. Together we have had several good results, and so I am very confident in our partnership. He has always been a winner, but the question was always: ‘How much scope does he have?’ However, every question we asked of him, he answered in a positive way. He is a dream horse – it is the attitude and mentality that he has that makes him so good.

What is Highway TN N.O.P. like at home?

He can be a bit grumpy to be honest! He has a big character, but he is not a mean horse at all. He has a lot of energy and is very willing to work, this is one of his best qualities. You have to let him be by himself sometimes, but my groom Richard knows him inside and out – they have travelled around the world together and so they know each other very well.

How have you been preparing for the CHIO Aachen? Do you feel any extra pressure knowing that you are the live contender?

The CHIO Aachen is such a special place. Before The Dutch Masters, my horses had jumped there a few times, but it will be their first time jumping at Aachen. I am trying to not change my preparations – I want to keep everything as normal as possible. As my horses have never been there before, I want to see how they adapt to the arena and the atmosphere during the week. They can grow in that ring, and if this happens it is a phenomenal feeling. I am not going to have too much of a plan – usually when you go to a show you know which classes you are going to do with each horse, but Aachen is something special, and so I want to take it day by day.

Can you tell us about the other horses in your string? Do you think that any of them have the qualities to win a Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major?

Grandorado TN N.O.P. is my other top horse alongside Highway [TN N.O.P.], however, we will not be bringing him to the CHIO Aachen. I will be bringing a 10-year-old stallion called Minute Man who is owned by a group of American women – it is going to be a step up for him to compete there but he is a very talented horse. I will also be bringing a nine-year-old mare called Pretty Woman van 't Paradijs, and I have very high expectations for her. I own her alongside the widow of my late owner Mr Korbeld who died in March. He was an incredible supporter for me over the past decade. It will also be her first time competing at the CHIO Aachen, but I am very excited about her – I think she has all the talent. She is young, and so she needs to gain the mileage and experience, but I think she could be a very special horse for my career.

The arenas at The Dutch Masters and at the CHIO Aachen are very different. How have you been preparing for the large grass arena at the CHIO Aachen?

Aachen is a long week, with a lot of jumping – to be honest, I have only ridden there twice in my life. One time it was the longest week of my life – it was a disaster – but the other time I had a really good show and it was a dream. As I have said before, the four horses that I am bringing have never been there before, so I am going to try and pick classes that suit them well and make a good plan. We will take it day by day to see how it goes – we want to make sure that the horses rise to the arena and the atmosphere. I want to enjoy the horses and the moment. 

How important is your wider team, for example, grooms, vets, etc. in your success?

They are everything! Not only my travelling groom Richard, but everyone in the team. The team at home, my riders, the other grooms, the blacksmith, the vet, and the feed company are all so hard working and incredibly dedicated. Everybody plays a big role in our success, and they will never be forgotten or appreciated enough for the effort that they put in day and night. I am only in the ring for two minutes, and without my team’s endless work, we would be nothing. It is like in Formula 1, Max Verstappen drives the car, but without the team around him, he could not be as successful. I do not think that you can acknowledge their support enough.

How big an impact do you think the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping has had on the sport?

I think that it has had a huge impact. I think that when you look back over the past 10 years of the concept, you realise how special and how big an achievement it was for Scott Brash to win three Rolex Grand Slam Majors consecutively. The Majors are the pinnacle of the sport, and they keep on improving. Rolex commits to and connects the best shows in the world, and they lift the whole sport to a higher level. It is an incredibly impressive and an honour to be jumping at the Majors.

How important do you think sporting Majors, such as the CHIO Aachen or The Championships, Wimbledon are in sport?

Sporting Majors are so important – they are the best of the best. With our sport, if you win on Sunday you have to start working again on Monday morning. It is our passion, not our work, and I think most top athletes would think like this. If you do not have passion for your sport then you will never be able to deal with the disappointment that comes with sport. In reality, winning is the easiest part of the sport, it is losing and dealing with struggles such as an injured horse that is hard, and this is where you need passion. It doesn’t matter if you are a tennis or golf player there will always be disappointment. I think that the Majors and their athletes encourage the passion of the next generation.

If you weren’t a show jumper, what would you have been?

To be honest, this is what I have always wanted to do, and so I have never thought about anything different than what I am doing right now.

Similarly to how the tennis Grand Slam calendar moves surfaces from clay to grass, so too does the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – from the indoor arenas of the CHI Geneva and The Dutch Masters, to the awe inspiring grass arena at the CHIO Aachen, the next Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major. The show, which often draws comparisons with The Championships, Wimbledon, attracts the finest horse and rider combinations from across the globe – all with the same hope of claiming the prestigious final class, the Rolex Grand Prix.

Dutch rider Willem Greve goes to the CHIO Aachen as the live contender of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. Greve made history in March when he became not only the first Dutch rider to win the Rolex Grand Prix [during the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping era] at The Dutch Masters, but also the first Dutch rider to win a Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major. Partnered by the sensational stallion Highway T.N. N.O.P, Greve set the home crowd alight as last to go in the jump-off. The duo have continued their impressive form since, winning the Loro Piana Trophy at the CSIO Roma Piazza di Siena – part of the newly formed Rolex Series – last month.

Another rider who is expected to be at the sharp end of the three rounds of competition that make up the Rolex Grand Prix is Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs. The World No. 6 recently won back-to-back Rolex Grands Prix at Royal Windsor Horse Show, and once again showcased why he is considered to be the amongst the best in the world. He will be joined by the reigning FEI individual European Champion Steve Guerdat – both riders have won some of the sport’s most coveted titles, including multiple Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Majors, but have never claimed the prestigious trophy on the final day of the World Equestrian Festival at the CHIO Aachen.

Great Britian will be represented by a strong contingent of riders including the World No.2 Ben Maher. Maher, who will be looking to defend his individual Olympic title later in the summer in Paris, will bring four of his best horses including his top mare Dallas Vegas Batilly, with whom he won the Rolex Grand Prix at the Brussels Stephex Masters last year. Maher will be joined Robert Whitaker who will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his father [John] and uncle [Michael] who won the class in 1997 and 2012 respectively. Rolex Testimonees Harry Charles and Scott Brash will also represent Great Britian – Charles will be looking to claim his first Rolex Grand Slam Major, meanwhile Brash, the only rider to have ever won the coveted Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping title, will be hoping to restart his quest for a second title.

The home nation will be hoping to retain the prestigious prize that was won last year by Marcus Ehning, who this year brings Coolio 42 and DPS Revere for the 5* classes. German riders have claimed the Rolex Grand Prix title for the past three years and for this one-hundredth edition have 16 entries in the CSIO competition. Daniel Deusser returns with Killer Queen VDM with whom he won the title in 2021, and was second last year, and will no doubt be one of the favourites on the final Sunday of the World Equestrian Festival. Other notable German riders include the CHI Geneva Rolex Grand Prix winner, Richard Vogel, as well as the consistent senior level rider, Jana Wargers, who will be hoping to become the first woman to win the class.

Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa is one of the sport’s finest talents and has won each of the four Majors [in the pre-Grand Slam era]. Pessoa will be riding Major Tom, the 11-year-old chestnut gelding who was fifth in this class last year, and will be hoping to repeat his victory from 30-years-old ago, when he won the title in 1994 at the age of 21.

One not to be discounted is World No.1 Henrik von Eckermann. The Swedish rider has continued to dominate the FEI World Rankings over the past two years and this year claimed back-to-back victories in the FEI Jumping World CupTM Final. Rounding off the this year’s entries, which includes 6 of the world’s top 10 riders, is two-time Major winner McLain Ward who will be making the trip across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States of America, and Ireland’s in-form rider Shane Sweetnam.

From 28 June - 7 July, the CHIO Aachen will welcome the world's top horse and rider combinations to the iconic Aachen Soers showground for the hundredth time. Since welcoming riders and carriage drivers for the first time in 1924, the CHIO Aachen has been a cornerstone of equestrian sport, and this year’s event promises to be a remarkable tribute to a century of equestrian excellence. The World Equestrian Festival at the CHIO Aachen will showcase five thrilling disciplines: show jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, and vaulting. An electrifying atmosphere is guaranteed as 360,000 spectators will gather over 10 days to witness a new chapter of sporting history unfold.

Following the iconic Opening Ceremony on Tuesday 2 July, Wednesday 3 July will see the start of the 5* show jumping at the CHIO Aachen. The Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe , held in the evening under floodlights, offers the first opportunity for riders to qualify for the show’s pinnacle class, the Rolex Grand Prix. The excitement will continue the next evening with the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup, where eight teams will compete over two identical rounds, with the best three results per team counting. In this Olympic year, selectors will be closely monitoring performances in this class to finalise their teams for Paris.

The grand finale, the Rolex Grand Prix, will take place on Sunday afternoon in front of 40,000 of show jumping’s most passionate and knowledgeable fans. Much like The Championships, Wimbledon, this is the competition that every rider aspires to win. The CHIO Aachen is one of four Majors that make up the prestigious Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, which rewards any rider who consecutively wins the Rolex Grand Prix at three of the four Majors. Following his success at The Dutch Masters, Dutchman Willem Greve is the current live contender for this extraordinary achievement, a feat previously accomplished only by Rolex Testimonee Scott Brash.

In dressage, the ultimate display of harmony and precision will be showcased in the Lindt-Prize, the Dressage Grand Prix of Aachen Freestyle to Music, taking place on Sunday, 7 July. The home crowd will be thrilled to see their very own Isabell Werth take centre stage. The Rolex Testimonee aims to etch her name on the CHIO Aachen winners' board for the fifteenth time, as she prepares to pursue her thirteenth Olympic medal in July. Her top competition will likely come from compatriot Frederic Wandres, Sweden’s Patrik Kittel, and reigning FEI individual World Champion Charlotte Fry, to ensure an exhilarating atmosphere in the Deutsche Bank Stadium.

On the final Friday and Saturday of the World Equestrian Festival, the SAP-Cup will feature the world’s best eventers. The competition begins with dressage and show jumping tests on Friday, followed by the thrilling cross-country phase on Saturday, 6 July. Once the cross-country concludes, attention will then turn to carriage driving with the world’s top four-in-hand drivers will set off in the Prize of Schwartz Group Marathon driving competition, often likened to the 'Formula One’ of carriage driving.

Beyond the thrilling action supplied by the world-class equestrian disciplines, visitors can also indulge in a range of attractions including diverse displays, shopping, and exquisite dining. The two 'Horse & Symphony' concerts, a breathtaking prelude to the CHIO Aachen, will this year also celebrate the show's one-hundredth anniversary, adding a touch of musical grandeur to this historic milestone.