Press release from Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping

The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping returns to the medieval city of ’s-Hertogenbosch from March 13 – 16, marking the first Major of the calendar year. With Dutch rider Harrie Smolders as the current live contender, the passionate home crowd is set for an electrifying show, featuring not only world-class equestrian sport but also a sensational lifestyle village where spectators can indulge in everything from clothing to cars.

For the first time, the opening day will feature international jumping, with the highlight coming from the newly introduced HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions class. This unique competition is inspired by the former format of the World Equestrian Games, where the world’s best riders swap horses. A must-see event, the class will feature current FEI World champion Henrik von Eckermann, FEI European individual silver medallist Philipp Weishaupt, individual Olympic bronze medallist Maikel van der Vleuten, and Dutch champion Willem Greve, who will exchange horses and compete over a challenging 1.45m/1.50m course in a true test of horsemanship and skill. 

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As The Dutch Masters – the first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of 2025 – returns to the Brabanthallen, so too do the world's most elite horses and riders. Competition is set to be fierce, as seven of the world’s top 10 will be in attendance, all hoping to claim the Show’s pinnacle class, Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix.

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Congratulations, you are the current Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping live contender ahead of your home Major, The Dutch Masters. What does this mean to you?

The Dutch Masters is always a very special show for us in the Netherlands, as it is one of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Majors. It also holds personal significance for me – when I was a child I first got to see international riders compete in person there for the first time. That experience is what inspired me to become a show jumper, and now it is our turn to inspire the next generation.

This is the first time I have been the live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. Winning the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI Geneva in December last year was my first Rolex Major victory, and with that has come more attention – and more pressure. We all know how difficult it is to win just one Major, let alone two in a row. To win three consecutively is the ultimate challenge, and it has only happened once in history.

It is an incredible feeling to have the Rolex Grand Prix win under my belt from the CHI Geneva, and I am really looking forward to The Dutch Masters.

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The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is considered by the sport to be the ultimate equestrian challenge, primarily due to the sporting prowess required to achieve this feat. It is a quest taken on by the world’s top riders, vying to secure the legendary status associated with winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

The format of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is simple: anyone who wins three Majors in a row receives the Rolex Grand Slam trophy and a €1 million bonus on top of the class’s prize-money. If that same rider then continues their success by winning a fourth Major in succession, they will be rewarded with an additional €1 million bonus.