The second Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of the calendar year concluded with a yet another sensational Rolex Grand Prix in front of a capacity crowd of 45,000 people at the CHIO Aachen. This year marked a number of momentous anniversaries for the iconic equestrian venue, as they not only celebrated 100 years of history, but also 25-years with Rolex as the Main Sponsor.  

Forty of the world’s best horse and rider combinations, who had qualified for the Rolex Grand Prix over the proceeding days, tackled the Frank Rothenberger-designed course with the hope of adding their names to the coveted list of riders who have been crowned victors of the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHIO Aachen, a venue which is often described as the Wimbledon of the equestrian world. Interestingly, six of the last 10 riders to have won the Rolex Grand Prix have been German, and with over a quarter of the riders representing the home nation – crowds were hoping for yet another German victory. 

Held over two rounds, with a jump-off if riders are tied on penalties, the Rolex Grand Prix is a true test of endurance, scope, and talent that requires the highest level of harmony and trust between the horse and rider. 

Third to enter the arena, Argentina’s José María Larocca set the standard early with a smooth clear, as did the next rider to take on the expertly designed course, the Rolex Grand Prix reigning champion, Germany’s Marcus Ehning much to the delight of the home crowd. The current live contender of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, Willem Greve, riding the mount with which he won the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters, was hoping to do what only two riders have achieved – to win two Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Majors in row. He was, however, unable to repeat his form from The Netherlands.  

With the 18 top riders from the opening round proceeding into the next round, those who could produce a fast-four faults would stay in contention for one of the sport’s most coveted prizes. In total only 9 riders jumped clear in the first round, including Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca and Rolex Testimonee Martin Fuchs, already a three-time Slam winner, along with home-favourite Richard Vogel, winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI Geneva in December. 

Starting in reverse order based on the results from the first round, it was tenth to go, American rider McLain Ward, who jumped the first double clear of the class and put pressure on the remaining eight riders in the second round. Out of those riders, only Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, Germany’s André Thieme – the individual 2021 FEI Jumping European Champion – and World No.10 Richard Vogel joined the American as those who would proceed to the jump-off. 

Anticipation was heavy in the air in the Aachen Soers arena as McLain Ward cantered into the packed stadium as first in the jump-off. The two-time Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major winner flew around the shortened course clear in a time of 41.02 seconds. Fuchs took almost two seconds off the American’s time however, it was not meant to be as the penultimate fence fell. The crowds exploded with cheers as Thieme then took the lead in a time of 39.77 seconds, with just one left to go. It looked like last to go, Vogel, would claim his second Major as he crossed the line over one second faster than his compatriot, but it was heartbreak for the young German as the final Rolex vertical fell, leaving Thieme to take the victory. 

Speaking on his win, the German commented: “It is every rider’s dream to win the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHIO Aachen, and to have my name on that list, especially as a German, it is incredible. Two years ago, I won the Nations’ Cup here with the team, and that was a lifetime dream, and now this – I think I should retire from competing here at the CHIO Aachen, it does not get better than this. The atmosphere and crowds are unmatched – there is nothing that can compare. ” 

Speaking on his jump-off, Thieme continued: “I did more strides from fences one to two – I know my horse does not have the biggest stride but she is very quick on the ground, so I was able to do a very tight turn to the penultimate oxer, and then to the final fence I took the risk – my horse [DSP Chakaria] is a freak, she is incredible!” 

The CHIO Aachen, part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show, runs for 10 days each summer, however, it is not the only time that the venue is home to a schedule of action-packed activities. Throughout the year the venue plays host to the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS in partnership with Rolex,  the ‘home of equestrian excellence’.

The CHIO Aachen CAMPUS focuses on five different clusters, namely Training, Digital, Youth, Education, and Excellence. Across these five clusters, the main aim is to ensure that knowledge and skills are taught to promote the sustainable development of equestrian sport. It is hoped that this will be achieved through practice-oriented transfer of knowledge, high quality and exclusive training, and good infrastructure, with the CHIO Aachen providing a centrally located training location.

Programmes will be run throughout the year, for example, the Equestrian Stable Management course – an International Certificate Programme in cooperation with RWTH Aachen International Academy. The programme develops efficient and innovative working methods to meet modern challenges in the equestrian business by integrating world-class equine specialists and renowned business professors. The programme which launched at the beginning of April has a truly international cohort of 20 students from 11 nations.

In addition, the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS aims to inspire the next generation of top-level equestrian athletes through their ‘Programme of Excellence’. The Programme of Excellence is an outstanding international training programme for young, talented riders from all over the world. The goal of the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS is to provide a specialised training course that helps young and ambitious equestrian athletes make their way to the top of the sport. Currently focusing on dressage and show jumping, the coaches are none other than Isabell Werth and Jos Lansik.

The welfare of the horses is another essential element of the CHIO Aachen, which is why it is driving forward scientific research together with the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS in the CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle. In this alliance, international scientists and equestrian sport experts and CAMPUS are currently investigating how sport horses feel when competing at the international show event in Aachen and how their well-being can best be taken care of on site. This is being measured using innovative methods and is intended to set new standards for horse welfare.

The CHIO Aachen CAMPUS has courses and activity days that cater for every age and ability from young children to local riding clubs to the stars of the future. To find out more about the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS click here or follow their social media channels.

Could you introduce yourself and tell us what your role is…

My name is Margo Thomas. I groom for Laura Kraut and I have worked for her for five years.

What made you want to pursue a career in horses?

I grew up riding, but when I was younger I mainly evented. Eventually I decided, given my circumstances, that it was better to make money then spend money, and that the best route for me was grooming. I moved over to grooming for show jumpers about nine-years-ago, and it has built from there. I have had such great opportunities along the way, and the peak of this definitely is working for Laura.

I started working for Laura about five-years-ago this autumn. When I first started I didn’t expect to walk in and be Laura’s groom straight away, I thought I would just be part of a team. However, when I got there, they said if you are good enough in these first few days then you will go to St Tropez, and from that it became show after show.

Laura and I click really well. The last five years have been amazing –  within the first six months we were part of a the Nations’ Cup winning team at Wellington, and then Covid happened. Afterwards there was a big build-up to Tokyo and I got to go and support Laura and Baloutinue, and then last year we had the Pan-American Games with Dorado 212 – it has been a great career so far getting to help Laura and her horses. I am enjoying every second I get to spend looking after these incredible animals, and being part of this amazing team.

For you why is the CHIO Aachen such a special show?

It is the best show in the world – the atmosphere here is electric, and the amount of people that understand horses and riding is phenomenal. The crowds truly ride the course along with the riders, they understand the striding – it is so wonderful to have such a knowledgeable crowd, it is something that is not always the case. This show is so prestigious, and every class is so momentous that you remember who won last year. There is so much energy and history – it is fantastic to be here again this year.

Can you tell us a little bit about the facilities for yourself and the horses?

The stabling here is great! It has been quite cold here this week and the stables have been very warm – they have cement walls and low ceilings, and they are perfect when it is chilly like it has been. It is lovely to have the big grass field where the riders can exercise the horses and we can give them some grass. There is so much room to get the horses out of the stalls – there are a lot of other shows where there is nowhere to walk around or exercise the horses out of the arenas.

Of course, I also appreciate the grooms’ lounge in the stables, we can grab a bite to eat to pretty much any hour of the day – that is really valuable to us when we are busy with the competition.

As a show groom you travel around the world, how do you ensure that your horses are happy and ready to compete?

You have to pay attention to their individual characters. I don’t think you can say that there is a standard routine for every horse, but seeing, for example that one horse hasn’t drunk enough water, so then you need to add a bit of comfort mash to the water to encourage them to drink. When you know your horses well, you know which ones travel better than the others.  

In Europe, when you travel long distances we stop more often, however in America stops are less common so we try to put them in box stalls so that they can move around. Usually, wherever the horses go I am along for the ride, whether it is on the plane or in my hammock in the back of the lorry. Looking after horses needs to be individualised to their specific characters – you need to make sure that you are paying attention to each horse and how they act throughout the journey.

What qualities does Laura have that makes her a great boss?

Laura is good at communicating what the horses need, but what she is really good at is that she trusts our team, and that we all communicate between each other. She knows that we are here to support her and the horses. She is someone who helps and gives me direction, but is not going to follow me around because she trusts me – it is great to work for someone like this.

What qualities does Laura have that makes her such a successful rider?

Laura’s greatest quality is that she cares about her horses and is the consummate horse person. She keeps their best interests in mind when planning competitions and working at home. But she also loves them.

She also has the best game face of anyone I know. When she goes in the arena, she is only focused on the task at hand, she isn’t thinking about what’s going on at the home farm or in another ring. If a rail falls, she immediately moves to change the plan and go faster, or decide it’s better to train the horse for the rest of the round.

As a groom, what does the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping mean to you?

The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is so prestigious and I have been to three of the four Majors which is a huge privilege. I love the Majors, but sometimes I have to look at them like they are just another horses show.

My job is always to do what Laura and the horses need to the best of my ability. Of course it is nerve wracking walking up to the arenas, but once the horse is in, there is nothing that I can do. All I can do is hope that I have done my job well and to support the horses and Laura. I try to not bring any nervousness to my job because the horses because feed off your energy. I try to take a deep breath and look at what I need to do to make sure that they are as successful as they can be.

What is the best piece of advice that you have been given?

I think that the key to grooming is to make sure that the horses come first. You need to remember that horses are animals, and they have their own instincts. We ask the horses for an hour of their day to work, but the rest of the time they should be horses, and live their lives comfortably. We have made it a big part of our programme that the horses have a lot of turnout and at the shows they get a lot of hand walking. They should always be the priority, it’s not all about what happens in the competition ring.