After nearly two years of waiting, the highly anticipated CHI Geneva returns from 9-12 December, representing the fourth and final Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of the year. The show will host an impressive number of world-class horse and rider combinations, including all of the current top 10-ranked riders, 17 of the current top 20, as well as featuring seven Rolex Testimonees. The show will celebrate its 60th edition, as well as the 20th anniversary of the IJRC Rolex Top 10 Final. As ever, CHI Geneva will be a truly international affair, with those riders competing representing 16 nations, and the home nation boasting a squad of 19.

After his remarkable maiden victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen in September, Live Contender and current world number two, Daniel Deusser has confirmed his talented mare Killer Queen VDM will travel to the Swiss capital in his quest to continue his Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping journey. CHI Geneva, the pinnacle of the international indoor show jumping calendar for top riders, will once again provide one of the toughest tests in the sport when it culminates with the Rolex Grand Prix, which requires the highest level of talent and horsemanship in order to be crowned champion.

Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – Rider Watch

Current world number one, Peder Fredricson from Sweden, looks incredibly competitive and the one to watch heading into the final Major of the year. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team champion has strength in depth in his talented team of horses, and will be the rider to beat in the Geneva Arena in front of the Palexpo’s knowledgeable crowds.

Fredricson’s compatriot, Henrik von Eckermann, played an integral role in Sweden’s Olympic success in Japan this summer. Currently ranked number two in the world, von Eckermann, who recently won the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona aboard his trusted partner, King Edward, will be aiming to add a Major win at CHI Geneva to his superb year.

Reigning Olympic Individual gold medallist, Ben Maher, will take his magnificently gifted gelding, Explosion W, to CHI Geneva. Winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May this year, the Briton will be looking to round off an exceptional 12 months with a win at 2021’s final Rolex Grand Slam Major

The first and only rider to have won the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, British rider Scott Brash will be looking to reclaim his CHI Geneva Rolex Grand Prix crown. Acutely aware of the intricacies and nuances required to win a Major, Brash will be sure bring his top horses to CHI Geneva in his bid to once againget his Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping journey underway.

One of the home crowd’s favourites, and winner of the last edition of the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva in 2019, Rolex Testimonee Martin Fuchs will be looking to retain his title aboard his European Championships Team gold and Individual silver medal-winning partner, Leone Jei. The striking grey looks to have the innate talent and jumping abilities required to succeed in this challenging test.

Fans will also be delighted to welcome back fellow Swiss Rolex Testimonee and Fuchs’ teammate , Steve Guerdat. After his spectacular win in this year’s CP ‘International’, presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ in September aboard Venard de Cerisy, Guerdat will be looking to claim his second Major of the 2021 season.

Kent Farrington, a previous Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final winner and Rolex Grand Prix winner in 2017 at CHI Geneva, knows what it takes to win in this prestigious indoor arena and will be looking to continue his success at the venue. The American Rolex Testimonee will be joined by fellow compatriots Laura Kraut and Jessica Springsteen, who have both had numerous successes this year including a Team win in the Nations Cup at the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival.

What have you been up to since winning the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen in September?

I was very busy the first couple weeks after winning the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen. It is something very special to win and very different to winning another Grand Prix. A lot of people wanted to do interviews and photo shoots with me; I really enjoyed the whole experience. But unfortunately, the horses don’t know that I have won one of the best Grands Prix in the world, so we got back to reality quite quickly.

As a German, to win at CHIO Aachen was amazing. Aachen is so special to me, and the crowd is fully supporting you. When you come into the arena it is very loud, but the moment the bell goes, it is silent in the stadium – it is a very special feeling. 

You’re the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Live Contender – what’s your strategy building up to CHI Geneva?

I am definitely taking Killer Queen VDM to compete in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva. She is my best horse at the moment; however, I would not say she is a traditional indoor season horse. But she jumped in the Grand Prix at CHI Geneva two years ago, so she knows the arena. At the beginning of the week of CHI Geneva I will jump her in a class and see how she feels and decide whether she needs to jump in a bigger class before the Rolex Grand Prix. I will make my decisions according to how she feels in the build-up the class.

Which other horses will you take to CHI Geneva, and which of your young horses are you really excited about?

I have not fully decided yet, Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z had a bit of time off during the summer, as he was injured, but he came back for a couple of shows. He did not jump in the biggest classes over the summer, so I will take him to a show this weekend and see how he feels in a bigger class and then decide whether to take him to Geneva. He will either go as my second or third horse, I will see after this week.

I have two really nice young horses – they are both very exciting prospects for the future. One is a nine-year-old, called Mr. Jones [Scuderia 1918 Mr. Jones], we bought him two years ago as a seven-year-old. We have very big hopes for him for the next couple of years. However, due to COVID-19, he lost a year of experience, as he did not do very many shows, so he is a very young nine-year-old. The second horse is called In Time and I have never actually taken this horse to a show myself. One of our Stephex riders has competed him in the young horse classes, he is only eight but I think I might take him to Geneva. I would like to get some experience on him and get to learn more about each other. I think he has a lot of potential.

The arena at CHI Geneva is quite different to CHIO Aachen, how do you prepare for this?

I haven’t changed anything specifically, but of course coming into the indoor season we train different distances and lines than for the outdoor season. For example, in the indoor season you see a lot of three- or four-stride distances, which outdoor you hardly ever see in a big ring like Aachen, for example. That is something you have to train, but in general most of our horses are well educated and old enough with good experience that you do that one or two times before the indoor season and that is enough. It is more of a fitness programme and they only see the big fences during the shows.

You have a great team behind you, how important is that in order to achieve great success?

Without a good team you cannot be successful, you need a good team that travels with you, one that looks after the horses at home and in the office. To have success when I am travelling almost every weekend, you need to have a big team of people and horses around you and they all need to fit together and work together. The sport is now so complicated and close together, and I travel so much that my team at home is just as important as my athlete in the saddle.

Sean Lynch is my main groom and has worked for me for around seven years. I trust him one hundred per cent, which is very important when he is travelling with our top horses. He does everything with the horses, and he is a very important person in my career. My success would be impossible without him. He loves the horses, it can be a 24-hour job, if something happens to one of them, he is there for them and he is so dedicated to them.

What are your plans, dreams and ambitions for 2022?

As the Live Contender, I hope that I win the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva and then I can aim to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. Even if I do not win in Geneva, I will still aim to win a Rolex Grand Prix next year. Apart from Scott [Brash], no one has won two or three in a row, so it is definitely a goal for the next couple years.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

Of course, winning the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen was a goal that I had for many years, really ever since I was a child. Very close to that success I have to put winning the World Cup Final with my former horse Cornet d'Amour. He was a horse that brought me on to the international stage, and I had my first experiences of championships and success. It is a moment that I put at the same level as winning the Rolex Grand Prix.

Just like tennis and golf, show jumping has its own Grand Slam. Which of the other sporting ‘Majors’ do you love watching, and which is your favourite and why?

I am a very sporty person, so I love to watch any sport. My three favourites apart from show jumping are tennis, soccer, and Formula One. It is very difficult for me to choose just one sport that I love to watch the most. I don't really have a favourite football team, but a couple of years ago my friend got me really into Borussia Dortmund. I went to see them a couple of times when they were playing in the Champions League. The atmosphere there is incredible, and it is a great sport.

Who has inspired you the most throughout your career? Is there one rider you idolise?

When I was a child and I went to the big shows to watch the world's best show jumpers, there were only two combinations that I really loved to watch. One was John Whitaker and Milton on the other was Franke Sloothaak and Walzerkönig. I was very lucky a couple of years later that I got the opportunity to work for Franke Sloothaak for four and a half years and I'm still in contact with him. Even though he lives far away from me, he is still a major support to me and gives me advice over the phone. He watches all of my rounds, and I must admit he is a huge part to my success.

What keeps you motivated and hungry for success?

There is just something in me that likes to go a step further and likes to win. As show jumpers, we go to a lot of shows, and there are usually a lot of competitors in the classes, with only ever one winner. So, you do not win all the time, being second or third is not a drama, but when you don’t win you will always re-live the round and wonder what you could have done better. Even though you don’t always win, the motivation on a Monday morning is always there. I learn from what could have gone better, and I see each show as more experience, so that when I go to the next show I will do better.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

First of all, you need experience. You cannot compete at your best when you are young, you must grow up and learn from your experiences. I think the most important thing is patience. This was something that I learnt from Franke [Sloothaak]. He was very quiet and cool on the horse, even if the horse had been very difficult during the week, and he was very patient with it and they always jumped well in the shows. If you are too young and too motivated it can be very difficult. I think it is very important to just be patient and learn from your mistakes in the past. You need to get the basics right, both for yourself as rider and your horse, in order to be successful.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which three items would you take with you?

If I leave my house without my phone, my watch and my wallet I feel very empty – so I would have to say those three items.

What are your plans, dreams and ambitions for 2022?

Recently, I have been climbing up in the rankings, but due to my injury I think I will drop back down. My main aims for 2022 are to compete in a few World Cups and step up to the 5* level. It has been difficult to move up to 5* level this year due to COVID-19 and all the other riders trying to compete at that level, as well. I am also aiming to build up my string of horses; I have a few young ones coming up who I think are very exciting for the future. I have three older horses, with whom I have had great success in the last few years, so I would love to move up to the next level with them. 

Tell us a little bit about your stable of horses…

I have had my two top horses for two and half years. I bought them straight after I had finished ponies, and they were supposed to only compete up to 1.35m level to give me some experience riding horses and also jump some bigger tracks. However, I have been really lucky, and they have both turned out to be really good. I have won up to 4* Grand Prix level on them; they have really helped me get my name out there and given me some amazing experience over the bigger tracks.

I have just got a new six-year-old, Lee May, who we bought from Richard Howley. I took her to Vilamoura and she jumped eight out of nine clear rounds so I was really pleased with her, especially as she is still very green. She learnt a lot at the show; she is very careful and has a great brain. I plan to take her slowly to let her progress, and hopefully have a successful seven-year-old year.

If there were three things you could win in your career what would they be?

Definitely, the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen, I think that is on every rider’s bucket list – just to ride there would be incredible. I love representing my country and riding on a team, so a senior European medal and an Olympic medal would be my other goals.

What is the proudest moment of your career so far?

I won a bronze team medal the Young Riders Europeans this year, which was incredible. But probably my proudest moment was when I first came off ponies, I went to Amsterdam for a young riders competition, where I had no intention of doing well. I had only had the horse for a month, and I won the Grand Prix. It was the start of my career, when I decided that winning the big classes in front of a crowd is what I want to do for the rest of my life,– it was amazing. Winning my first ranking class was also amazing. I won quite a lot when I first came off ponies; I definitely could not have done it without the help of my trainer, Guy Williams. Lastly, my final proudest moment is being selected for the senior Nations Cup team at 18 years-old.

How important is it having a mentor, like Guy Williams, in being able to progress your career?

I think that it is huge. As a young rider you don’t know it all, and you can’t do it on your own – you need a very good team around you. I have excelled more than I thought I would do by this age because of Guy. It is not just about being good on the horse, it is about being a great horseman on the ground. He has taught me how to manage my horses, from their feet to their feed, what I have learnt from him and his groom, Nat, has been invaluable. It is more than just riding; the horses have to be properly managed if you want to do well.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

You need to know that 99.9% of the time it is not the horse’s fault and you cannot get angry with them. You cannot get frustrated after a bad round, you have to just breathe and come out the ring, trot them off, then come back to see how you can improve. They are not machines and they can only do what you say. On ponies I was quite hot headed, and Guy has really taught me to calm down, and I have a lot. You can’t get angry with the horses after a bad round even if you are frustrated.

Who has inspired you the most throughout your career?

More recently I have got to know Michael and John [Whitaker] very well, they have definitely inspired me. They are true horsemen, and I always watch their rounds. I watched John at a show last week, and it was like watching poetry in motion; he makes it look so effortless – like he is doing nothing!

What keeps you motivated and hungry for success?

This year I got very close to getting into the 5* jumping at Royal Windsor Horse Show and the World Cup at the London International Horse Show. I was one off both of them, and that was very upsetting. But it makes me want to climb up the rankings and to do better next year. They are such great shows, and especially being in my home country, makes me motivated to be consistent and climb up the rankings so I can compete there next year.

How much of a boost does it give you having fans back at shows?

Having fans back definitely motivates me more in the ring. My first show back with a proper crowd was Valence, which was very special. I was recently at the Horse of the Year Show, which had such an amazing atmosphere, being an indoor show with full crowds. As riders, we love having the fans back, you get extra adrenaline and it really motivates you to perform well. It has been difficult without them.

Of course, some horses can be affected by the crowds. My top horse is very spooky and sharp, he is scared of everything, so much so that I cannot even jump him over a pole at home. At the Horse of the Year Show, he didn’t jump very well, as there have been no big indoor shows due to COVID-19, he wasn’t used to the lights and the crowds. I think there are horses that can benefit from the crowds, as they are used them. Also, some horses will rise to a big occasion with a large crowd. They are all very different.

How positive do you believe the Rolex Grand Slam has been for the sport of show

It is amazing. It is something that all riders dream of winning; I think that it has brought show jumping to the next level. I also think that the Rolex Grand Slam has made the sport more accessible to the general public and more globally friendly, as people want to watch top level sport that has high stakes. The Rolex Grand Slam has the best Grands Prix in the world, which really brings the sport to another level. I think that Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen VDM could be the next combination to win the Rolex Grand Slam – they have been on amazing form this year.