Text © World of Showjumping

The 2023-edition of Falsterbo Horse Show concluded on Sunday with the traditional €300,000 CSIO5* 1.60m Longines Grand Prix, and it was Martin Fuchs and the 12-year-old Conner Jei who took the title after also having secured the win for the Swiss team in Friday's Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Sweden. 

The course set by Germany's Frank Rothenberger counted 13 obstacles and 16 efforts in round one and had an unusual beginning: Meeting the 50 horse-and-rider-combinations at start on fence number one was a blue Agria-wall. And it did not get any easier from there, with a triple combination at 6abc, an open water at fence number eight followed by a light, white, birch combination at 9ab. With faults spread out, fourteen pairs delivered a clear while only 25 % – thirteen in this case – qualified for the second, deciding round.

To the joy of the Falsterbo-crowd, the host’s very own Petronella Andersson (SWE) and Castres van de Begijnakker Z (Coriano x Palestro vd Begijnakker) were the first to deliver a clear in round one, followed by Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) and Zuccero (VDL Zirocco Blue x Caretino 2) as well as Erika Lickhammer-Helmond (SWE) and Hesjedal NL (Carambole x Pacific).

Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Conner Jei (Connor 48 x Cosimo) jumped clear as well, as did Rik Hemeryck (BEL) and Morfine de Muze (Nabab de Reve x Tinka’s Boy), Willem Greve and Highway M TN (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Chellano), Koen Vereecke (BEL) and Kasanova de la Pomme (Bamako de Muze x Malito de Reves), Alessandra Volpi (USA) and Berlinda (Berlin x Gento), Evelina Tovek (SWE) and Azaria Dinero (Mylord Carthago x Drakkar Des Hutins), Sienna Charles (GBR) and Stardust (Chacco-Blue x Con Air 7), Emanuele Camilli (ITA) and Odense Odeveld (Diamant de Semilly x Querlybet Hero) and Pieter Devos (BEL) aboard Nascar van’T Siamshof (Emilion x Voltaire Pref). With Kars Bonhof (NED) and Hernandez TN (Kannan x Numero Uno) posting clear round number fourteen in a time of 82.28, Hemeryck was pushed out of the second round with his time of 85.94.

In round two, over a shortened track, Greve and Highway M TN – winners of the Longines Grand Prix of Rotterdam only a few weeks ago – threw down the gauntlet as pair number three out, stopping the clock on 47.95 and setting the standard for those to follow. However, only three pairs later, Fuchs and Conner Jei powered through the course, leaving out strides and shaving off over two seconds on Greve’s time – taking over the lead. While the remaining pairs could do nothing about Fuchs and Conner Jei’s time, Camilli and Odense Odeveld slotted into third in 48.68, while Vereecke and Kasanova de La Pomme finished fourth in 49.04 and Volpi fifth in 49.13 aboard Berlinda.

“Already on the first day when I got to enter this arena, this stadium, it was a beautiful feeling,” Fuchs said about his incredible week at the Swedish venue. “I was sad to not have been here for a while and I had told myself that I would definitely come back as often as I can. Then obviously having this great week and winning the Nations Cup with three good friends on the team and then being able to win the Grand Prix here in Falsterbo in front of such an amazing crowd, with a really cool jump-off, with a fantastic horse Conner Jei and his owner here, it was a great end to a perfect week for me.” 

“There were a lot of people saying ‘you won, you won’, but I never believe that it is finished before the last rider has jumped,” Fuchs said about the wait before his win was a fact as the last pair out, Sweden’s Evelina Tovek and Azaria Dinero, had the very first fence down. “Evelina was the fastest in the first round, so obviously I knew that she can be fast and I just had to wait, watch on the screen and hope that today was going to be my day.” 

“Conner Jei is a fantastic horse, he has all the abilities, he is such a phenomenal jumper,” Fuchs praised his equine partner, the 12-year-old gelding Conner Jei.

“Sometimes I struggle a little bit with him, to have him quiet and relaxed, because he is so extremely careful and wants to do it so well, so he can get a bit strong on the fences. Therefore, I really try to have him quiet and that he trusts me; give him confidence. A show like this is great for him, because we have a big space to warm up, the stabling is good, there is a lot of pathways you can go and walk, you can go almost on a hack around the stables. I think that is what makes this show so amazing; it is not just great for us riders to ride in front of the crowd, even everything behind the scenes is extraordinary and very well done for the horses. That is why I really appreciate the effort of the organizers and of the crowd, to be so supportive and to put on a show like this.” 

“I was slower,” second placed Greve joked when asked about his thoughts on the second round. “My horse jumped the first round really well. I was a bit anxious of making it to the second round because it was quite a close call with the time. In the jump-off, I did not start with the nine strides as Martin did with his horse, he has a huge stride. I added and there I lost. I think I could not have made it, he also had a long distance at the FEI jump, but the rest of my jump-off was very smooth. I am very happy with how my horse jumped and he is in great shape, so I hope we will continue [like this].” 

“I am extremely happy for my horse, because he is only nine,” third placed Camilli said. “He did a double clear in the Nations Cup and today he was again double clear, not fast enough, but I am extremely happy about it. I think he is a special horse and he is really happy to jump, he makes the best out of it every time he goes into the ring.”