Text © World of Showjumping

Martin Fuchs (SUI) and the 12-year-old gelding Leone Jei (Baltic VDL x Corland) won the 23^rd Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final at CHI Geneva on Friday night, taking their first-ever Top 10-title. 

As the pathfinder in round one, the Swiss rider – who got into the final after Ireland’s Conor Swail was unable to attend due to travel issues – delivered a clear round over Gerard Lachat (SUI) and Gregory Bodo’s (FRA) first-round track, lifting the roof at the fully packed Palexpo in front of his home crowd. 

While the last fence fell for Mclain Ward (USA) and Ilex (Baltic VDL x Chin Chin), 2024 Olympic Champion Christian Kukuk (GER) delivered a clear riding Just Be Gentle (Tyson x Ticallux Verte). Kukuk’s compatriot Richard Vogel (GER) and United Touch S (Untouched x Lux Z) – a pair that topped the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva last year – were surprisingly caught out by the very first fence, and also added another four faults to their score at fence number eight – a blue upright right by the ingate – and the same fence proved costly for Max Kühner (AUT) and EIC Cooley Jump The Q (Pacino x Obos Quality 004) as well.

Julien Epaillard (FRA) and Donatello d’Auge (Jarnac x Hello Pierville) posted one of their trademark rounds, with the fastest clear of the night as pair number six out, followed by Kent Farrington (USA) and Toulayna (Toulon x Parco) who turned up the heat by being even quicker. Ben Maher (GBR) and Point Break (Action-Breaker x Balou du Rouet) also delivered a powerful clear, while the Palexpo-pet Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte (Bamako de Muze x Tinka’s Boy) had an agonizing rail down on the very last fence.

Last out in round one, current world number one Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward (Edward 28 x Feo) showed great form, posting the fastest clear and taking pole position ahead of the second round.

Coming back in reverse order for the second round – jumped over a shortened course – it was Vogel and the impressive United Touch S that entered the ring first. While the German rider left all the fences intact this time around, Guerdat added another four to his score as next to go. Ward and Kühner both delivered a clear in round two, and as the first of those who moved on to the second round on a clean sheet, Maher delivered again when posting the first double clear of the night with a time of 48.59 seconds. Kukuk on the other hand had to see four faults added to his score, dropping down on the result list to eventually finish fourth.

As next to go it was clear that Fuchs was in it to win it; the 32-year-old went all out and took over the lead with a clear round in 47.02 seconds – adding proper pressure on those to come. With Epaillard adding eight faults to his score, it was down to the last two riders to decide the 2024 Rolex IJRC Top 10-podium. Farrington could not catch Fuchs and Leone Jei, slotting into second with a time of 48.05, and when von Eckermann and King Edward ran into trouble at the third last CHI Geneve-vertical to finish on four faults, Fuchs could celebrate the first Rolex IJRC Top 10-title of his career, with Farrington in second and Maher in third.

“My horse has a huge stride and an incredible jump,” Fuchs detailed afterwards. “I knew that the fastest riders in the world were coming after me, so I tried to put a lot of pressure on them and really went for it. The second round worked out how I planned, with a very nice forward eight strides to the last fence, but still I was not sure if it would be enough. When you have those riders coming after you, anyone of them can beat you and anyone can be faster, so it was a long time to be watching them.”

“Thank you to our loyal sponsor Rolex for supporting the IJRC and this class for so many years, and this show, and the best shows in the world,” Fuchs added. “It was a great evening.”

“I think Toulayna jumped incredible, both rounds,” the second placed Farrington said. “She came here last year and performed really well and that’s why I wanted to bring her back for the Top 10 Final. As Martin said, it’s a goal for all of us when we are high ranked to come here at the end of the year. It’s a great way to finish the year with a great class and compete with the best guys in the world – and everyone is trying their best. I think I could not have done my jump-off better, but Martin had a really amazing round and it was going to be tough to beat, as you saw, with even the best riders on the best horses – so a really great competition.”

Maher, who completed the podium in third, was full of praise for his talented horse. “Point Break gave me an amazing evening tonight,” he said. “He is so consistent, still learning a lot, but I’m very proud of him. I’ve spent the last four years producing him and my owners are here, it is always great to make the podium. I don’t say it very often, but I probably could not have gone any faster, just at this moment in his career. I have a much smaller stride and I think I did the right thing by my horse. Martin’s round tonight was close to unbeatable.”