This December, 10 of the world’s leading show jumping athletes will come together at CHI Geneva, which this year celebrates 100 years of history, for the 25th anniversary edition of the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, marking a landmark moment for one of international show jumping’s most prestigious competitions.
Created in 2001 by the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), with Rolex as a Founding Partner, whose mission since 1977 has been to represent the interests of the world’s leading show jumping athletes, the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final is built around a simple but demanding principle: only the very best earn the right to compete. Participation is reserved for riders who are IJRC members both in the current and previous year.
The IJRC Top 10 Final has been supported by Rolex since its inauguration, creating a partnership that has now spanned the 25-year history of the competition. The long-standing association reflects a shared commitment to excellence, precision and sustained achievement at the highest level of international show jumping.
Qualification is based on the FEI Jumping World Ranking, rewarding sustained excellence across the international season. The result is a field unlike almost any other in the sport – 10 riders, two rounds and one title.
By the time the 25th anniversary edition is staged this December, just 250 starting places will have been available across the entire history of the competition.
That scarcity is part of what has made the Final so distinctive. Like the season-ending ATP and WTA Finals in tennis, the competition brings together a small, elite field whose place has been earned over the course of the year rather than through a single qualifying event.
A Roll of Honour Shaped by Sporting Greats
Among its earliest champions were Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, who won the first two editions in 2001 and 2002, followed by Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, who triumphed with the legendary Baloubet du Rouet in 2003 and again in 2005.
Since then, the Roll of Honour has come to represent many of the defining figures of modern show jumping. Olympic, World and European champions have all lifted the trophy, while the competition has also become a measure of remarkable longevity at the highest level.
Marcus Ehning holds the record for the most appearances, with 14, while Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat remains the only rider to have won the Final three times – remarkably, each victory came with a different horse: Jalisca Solier in 2010, Alamo in 2018 and Venard de Cerisy in 2023.
The horses themselves form an equally important part of the competition’s history. Across all the editions to date, only two have succeeded in winning the title twice: Baloubet du Rouet, victorious with Rodrigo Pessoa in 2003 and 2005, and Shutterfly, who won with Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in 2004 and 2006.
Reflecting on the significance of the competition and his two victories with Baloubet du Rouet, Pessoa said, “The Top 10 Final has always been one of the most prestigious competitions in show jumping, right from the very first edition. To qualify, you have to be consistently performing at the highest level throughout the season, and that is what makes it so special. The standard has always been incredibly high, even as the sport has evolved over the years. Winning the Final twice with Baloubet du Rouet, in 2003 and 2005, was a very special achievement for us. He was an extraordinary horse, and those two victories will always hold a very special place in my memory.”
Celebrating 25 Years
Throughout its 25-year history, the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final has been staged in Geneva, Brussels, Paris and Stockholm, bringing together the world’s leading riders in some of the sport’s most prestigious arenas. Across these different venues, the competition has remained a celebration of sporting excellence, with each edition adding to its remarkable legacy.
That wider sense of occasion has become an important part of the Final’s identity. The competition is not simply about ten riders entering the arena; it is about celebrating the athletes, horses and stories that have defined an era of the sport.
The scale of the sporting prize reflects that status with the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final this year carrying a total prize fund of €530,000, with €170,000 awarded to the winner.
To mark the 25th anniversary, a series of commemorative activities throughout CHI Geneva will celebrate the competition’s past while bringing audiences closer to the action. These will include a special IJRC-branded anniversary fence, and the return of the popular Champions Parade, bringing former winners back into the arena.
As the world’s top riders prepare to write the next chapter in the competition’s history, the 25th anniversary edition will celebrate not only the rider who lifts the trophy, but also the champions, horses and unforgettable performances that have established the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final as one of the defining fixtures on the international show jumping calendar.
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