Harrie Smolders and Monaco Win First Rolex Major

The Rolex Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious classes on the equestrian calendar, delivered a breathtaking conclusion to the 2024 edition of the CHI Geneva. As the final Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of the year, the competition brought together the world’s most elite riders and their exceptional horses, all vying for the ultimate prize in the sport.

Held in the iconic main arena, the Rolex Grand Prix once again captivated audiences with unparalleled displays of athleticism, precision, and skill. The star-studded field of 40 was sensational and included all of the top 10 ranked riders in the world. Among them was Rolex Testimonee Martin Fuchs, who entered the class as the current live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping following his extraordinary back-to-back victory in the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, at the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in September.

Gérard Lachat’s course proved difficult to master initially, with early favourites, Rolex Testimonee Richard Vogel and Germany’s Marcus Ehning, unable to produce the rounds they had hoped for. However, sixth into the impressive arena, Dutch rider Harrie Smolders delivered a clear round, as did next to jump, World No. 1 Henrik von Eckermann, ensuring a jump-off.

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The crowd was then delighted as Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei kept their Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping dreams alive with a confident round. Clears remained hard to come by in the first half of the field, with only Lorenzo de Luca and Grégory Wathelet joining the elite and exclusive list of riders in the jump-off. It was heartbreak though for three-time Major winner Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen VDM, who produced a perfect jumping round but finished with just one-time fault.

Reigning individual Olympic champion Christian Kukuk along with home-favourite Steve Guerdat were among numerous top contenders who did not advance to the jump-off. Meanwhile, Italy’s Giulia Martinengo Marquet treated the knowledgeable crowd to an impeccably judged round, which was quickly followed by clears from Ben Maher and Gilles Thomas.

The course provided challenges throughout, causing problems across the board, and it was the tricky triple combination that cumulatively caused the most penalties, with 11 faults recorded. Past Major winner Willem Greve along with Simon Delestre were among those who struggled with the combination. The first round was concluded with classy clears from Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and the 2022 winner of the class, McLain Ward. (Ed note: Canada’s Erynn Ballard competed in this class riding Ilan Ferder’s chestnut stallion De Flor 111 Z Santa Rosa; they had 13 faults to finish in 31st place)

In total, 10 combinations proceeded into the jump-off, returning in the same order in which they had jumped in the initial round, meaning it was Harrie Smolders who went first. The Dutchman set an impressive standard with a clear round in a time of 41.74 seconds – a result neither Henrik von Eckermann nor Martin Fuchs could match.

Sixth to go, Giulia Martinengo Marquet produced the next double clear but was unable to beat the time set by Smolders. With only one horse left to jump, Smolders still held the lead, leaving McLain Ward as the only rider who could take the victory from him. The American flew across the arena in a faster time, but agonizingly, the last fence fell.

This result meant that Harrie Smolders, who demonstrated the perfect harmony between horse and rider in one of the most challenging and celebrated competitions in the world, became the new Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping live contender and claimed his first Major.

Speaking on his win, Smolders stated: “I have no words for this feeling! To win a Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major is a dream come true, and now being the live contender at The Dutch Masters is incredible. My horse, Monaco N.O.P., is so clever – we have such an amazing connection and so to win this class with him makes it even more special.”

Watch the highlight video here: