The 2021 show jumping calendar was filled with exceptional entertainment, featuring not only the sport’s most decorated competitors but also welcoming a new generation of future stars who shone brightly at the year’s four Rolex Majors. The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping continues to be at the forefront of every rider’s ambition, none more so than Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, who starts the year as the Rolex Grand Slam live contender following his stunning victory at CHI Geneva in December.

Opening this year’s Rolex Major season in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands from 11-13 March is The Dutch Masters, latest addition to the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. The largest indoor show in The Netherlands and one of two indoor shows on the Rolex Grand Slam calendar, The Dutch Masters brings a rich heritage with traditions dating back to 1967. This year, show jumping’s very best riders will descend upon the Brabanthallen for three days of world-class competition, culminating in the Rolex Grand Prix on the show’s final day. Hosting the tightest arena of the four Majors, the trust between horse and rider is more crucial than ever, as the combinations navigate the sharp turns, which give them little room for error. Last year’s winner, Austrian Max Kühner, rose to the occasion alongside his talented 11-year-old gelding, Elektric Blue P, and in doing so claimed his first Major victory.

The second Major of the season, CHIO Aachen – often referred to as the ‘Wimbledon’ of the equestrian world – will once again take place in the North Rhine-Westphalia city in the west of Germany. Dating back to 1924, CHIO Aachen is a show steeped in history and continues to attract more than 350,000 knowledgeable fans across 10 exhilarating days of equestrian sport, which will this year run from 24 June-3 July. One of the most prestigious competitions on the annual show jumping calendar, CHIO Aachen’s highlight class, the Rolex Grand Prix, takes place on the show’s final day and is the one every rider wants to win, etching their name into equestrian history on the iconic winners’ wall. 2021 saw Rolex’s newest Testimonee, Germany’s Daniel Deusser and his phenomenal mare, Killer Queen VDM, take home the spoils after fulfilling a lifelong dream to be crowned champion. Hot on Deusser’s heels was the young, up-and-coming American rider, Brian Moggre, who at 20-years-old displayed incredible levels of skill and determination to fight-off a field of former world number ones and Olympic, World and European Individual champions to secure second place.

From 7-11 September, attention turns to Calgary in Canada for the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’. With a reputation of being one of the most demanding courses in the world, it takes a very special partnership to be victorious in the CP ‘International’, presented by Rolex. Rolex Testimonee, Steve Guerdat and his 13-year-old gelding Venard de Cerisy epitomised this, producing two precise and fault-free rounds, the only pair to go double clear and ultimately clinch the coveted trophy. The Rolex Grand Slam has fond memories of this Major, as it was here in 2015 that Great Britain’s Scott Brash became the first winner of the revered Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping following a flawless round aboard his legendary gelding, Hello Sanctos, a feat no rider has been able to emulate since.

The Major season culminates in Switzerland when riders return indoors to compete at CHI Geneva. Held from 8-11 December in the Palexpo complex, CHI Geneva is one of the most historic and prestigious international shows and has been voted the world’s best show jumping event a record nine times. Hosting the sport’s most accomplished riders, the Rolex Grand Prix is the highlight of the four days of elite competition. Local hero, Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs rode to victory in 2021 with his 10-year-old gelding, Leone Jei, and made history by becoming the first rider of the competition to win consecutive editions after triumphing in 2019.

As the current live contender, Fuchs will be under the spotlight as he prepares to continue his Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping journey at The Dutch Masters. Could 2022 see a new Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping champion crowned?

2021 was a stellar year for you, what are your main ambitions for 2022?

Having won the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen, my main ambition at the moment is to win the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters in March, as I am in contention to gain a bonus if I win there. So, all of my planning and preparation now is focused on going to 's-Hertogenbosch to try and win the Rolex Grand Prix there.

With the pandemic it is difficult to plan, as many shows are being cancelled, but there are a few shows that I am really looking forward to, including La Baule which Rolex is now a partner of. I have not been there many times because of other Nations Cup competitions or other plans from the German Chef d’Equipe, so this year I am really looking forward to competing there. Of course, I always love jumping at CHIO Aachen, and I would love to win the Rolex Grand Prix there again. 

How are you preparing for The Dutch Masters and which horses will you take?

At the moment I am planning on taking Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z. I haven’t brought him out to Florida [to the Winter Equestrian Festival] so he will be fresh for the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters. He is a very good horse for the indoor season, and he finished last year in great form. The Dutch Masters is such an amazing show for so many reasons, I always love going there, and the potential Rolex Grand Slam bonus makes me even more excited to return to 's-Hertogenbosch.

Looking ahead to the Majors this year, in your opinion what makes them stand out from other shows?

The organisation of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Majors is phenomenal, the standards are always so high, and the facilities are the best for the horses and riders. Of course, the prize money also sets these shows above the others, which makes them very exciting for everyone; the riders, the owners and the fans of the sport. More fans come to watch the Majors than other shows, and that creates the most incredible atmosphere to ride in. Not many other shows have the capacity for such large amounts of spectators – the stadiums of CHIO Aachen and CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ for example are unmatched, and that definitely makes the Majors stand out from other shows. The Majors also have such rich history and traditions; the best riders in the world have competed at them, and now my generation of riders are part of their history, which makes them so special to compete at.

I think that the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is absolutely comparable with the Grand Slams in tennis or golf; for example, CHIO Aachen is like the Wimbledon of the equestrian world. The Majors are in amazing locations and have incredible fans; I definitely think as a rider there is a motivation to want to perform your best at these four shows.

Killer Queen VDM is such a talented horse, do you have any new/young horses that will make their 5* debut this year?

I have two very talented young horses here in Wellington competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival with me; Scuderia 1918 Mr Jones and In Time. I have had Scuderia 1918 Mr Jones for about two or three years now, but because of the pandemic I have not done that many shows with him. He is here in America to hopefully gain some more experience so that he can step up to the bigger classes. He jumped in a 1.50m class here the other day, and I think he is ready to make the step up soon. He has a lot of potential, has a very big character and is extremely scopey, so I am really looking forward to his future.

In Time is a nine-year-old mare. I have only done one show with her, and that was at CHI Geneva, but I think a lot of her. She is very scopey, straightforward and wants to be careful. I have only had her for two months, but I really hope she will follow in the steps of Killer Queen VDM and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z and be able to replace them when they retire from the sport in a few years.

They both need more experience and time to develop before they become the next ‘Killer Queen VDM’ but I think we are in good shape to have these talented young horses coming up. I think with more experience they both could be my next superstars.

When not at shows, how much time is spent training the horses and developing the younger ones?

When I am at home, I like to spend as much time as possible with the younger horses, but I am often away competing. So, we have several very talented riders at Stephex Stables who train the young horses and take them to the Young Horse and 2* shows to develop them. If they show good potential, like In Time did, then I will start riding and competing them when they are rising eight-years-old, and see if they can go up the levels.

How does the winter season differ from the summer season in your preparations?

The winter season in Europe is mostly indoors, so we therefore train mostly indoors. Here in Florida, as the weather is warmer, everything is outside. It is a bit of an adjustment for the horses to come from the cold and jumping indoors to the warm and jumping outside. All the competitions are in outdoor arenas, which are much bigger and there is far more for the horses to look at, so it is harder to make them focus on the fences.

There are a variety of different classes, and I think for horses like Scuderia 1918 Mr Jones and In Time it is very good to bring them out here to prepare them for the summer season in Europe. We now really spread out our summer season for longer, competing in two different continents. Ultimately, the goal is that our horses will be more prepared for the summer season in Europe, and with the pandemic we have lost shows, so it is very important that the horses are still able to get the experience that they need.

There are some really talented young riders rising up the rankings – who would be your future star to look out for?

There are so many, it would be difficult to mention them all. But I am very close to the American rider, Spencer Smith. He was at Stephex Stables last year, and he is here in Florida with us now. I think he is very talented, and definitely one to watch for the future. Another rider who I think is a future star is Jack Whitaker, the son of Michael Whitaker. He is very young, but he has fantastic feel and I think he will achieve great results in the future.

What is your best piece of advice for a young rider who wants to be a professional in the future?

You just have to be patient. I also think you must watch other riders; you can learn so much from watching. Also, every horse is different, so you have to learn to adapt and be patient to get the best out of your horse.

When I was young, I was very ambitious and when I think about it now, I really believe I should have been more patient at the beginning. I used to watch a lot of other riders and see how they worked with their horses and how they warmed them up. I think that is my best piece of advice, you can have the best trainer in the world who can tell you things over and over again, but you have to watch other people to understand why they are doing what they are and how you can do it. Definitely, do not copy anyone, though, do it your own way but just learn what you can from other riders.

What are you most looking forward to in your role as President of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping this year?

After these two very extraordinary years, I am really looking forward to finally seeing the whole team together again. Whether you are the President or not, the goal is to work and move forward together to ensure the very best for our sport.

How important is it for the four Majors, that make up the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, to communicate and innovate together?

There is strength in numbers. Each competition has a different vision, and each can be inspired by the other. Each Major has its own specialty, history and qualities, and each one can always improve. It is only by communicating together that we can move forward and develop the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. We are a united group with the same vision for the sport and that ultimately created this concept. We want the group to remain the same as this in order to serve show jumping and to make it grow, by placing the sport and the horse's well-being at the centre.

How will the Majors build on last year’s events, as we restart the Rolex Grand Slam season this year?

One thing we will remember from these two years is that the situation has forced us to always be creative and very reactive, according to the constraints imposed upon us. Despite this, we hope above all that 2022 will be more conventional and that the Majors can be held normally. We were very lucky last year, that even with constraints, all the Majors could take place. Moreover, the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is not an annual process, it is a never-ending cycle, so the fact that one year starts again does not change much for us. The aim is to always improve, and to offer the very best of the sport. The welfare of the horse is always at the heart of our concerns and will be even more so this year.

Which horse and rider combinations do you think could win a Major and possibly the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping this year?

The Majors always host the best horses and riders in the world, so it's hard to pick favourites. But Martin Fuchs – after his two victories at the CHI Geneva [with Clooney 51 in 2019 and Leone Jei in 2021] – is definitely one of them. The same goes for Steve Guerdat, who won his fourth Major at the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ with Venard de Cerisy in 2021, and has been one of the most consistent riders in the Majors since 2013. After the 2021 season, it will also be of no surprise to see a Swede come out on top, like Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward, who have been one of the most successful duos in recent months. But there are so many others, including Ben Maher, Daniel Deusser, and so on.

Do you believe the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping can take inspiration from other sports that have Grand Slams, such as tennis and golf?

Of course, there is always something to be learned from other sports, whether it is golf, tennis or any other sport. We have been taking inspiration from other sports since the creation of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. There is a lot we can learn, for example, in terms of technology and visitor experience.

There have been some incredibly special moments since the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping was launched in 2013 – what has been your personal highlight?

There have been so many amazing moments. Firstly, the launch of the project in Gothenburg in April 2013, then Steve Guerdat and Nino's [Nino des Buissonnets] victory at CHI Geneva’s first Rolex Grand Prix as part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping in December 2013. Of course, the Rolex Grand Slam being achieved by Scott Brash and Hello Sanctos in 2014/2015 is something I will never forget.