Great Britain’s Scott Brash and the fantastic Hello Sanctos (Quasimodo v. Molendreef x Nabab de Reve) made history in Aachen on Sunday, winning the Rolex Grand Slam Grand Prix for the second time in a row. Brash won the 2014 Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva, and today he could climb to the top of the podium in Aachen as well. That means that Scott - in addition to the 330.000 Euro he got for winning the class - earns a bonus of 500.000 Euros if he jumps the Rolex Grand Slam Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows, which will be raised to 1.000.000 Euro if he wins the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Rolex Grand Prix went over two rounds plus a jump-off. The first round consisted of 13 fences and 16 jumps. The famous double of Liverpools as always caused some problems - not so much for the jump itself, but several times due to the big lake beside it. The 18 best riders out of the 40 competitors qualified for the second round.
The second round was just slightly shorter with 12 fences and 15 jumps. Seven riders went in to the second round with four faults, one with a single time penalty and the rest had a clean sheet. Last year's winner Christian Ahlmann and Codex One (Contendro x Glueckspilz) were first to go and they delivered a solid clear and stayed on their four faults from the first round. Hans-Dieter Dreher with Embassy II (Escudo I x Silvio I) didn't really find the rhythm in the second round and had to add another 12 faults to the four from the first.
The same went for Ben Maher with Diva II (Kannan x Berlioz), and also Lauren Hough struggled with the last line and had to add eight faults riding Ohlala (Orlando x Cardento). Patrice Delaveau with Carinjo HDC (Cascavelle x Landgraf) didn't have the luck on his side either and two poles fell.
Pius Schwizer on the other hand did a great clear round with Caretina de Joter (Caretino x Contender) as did Beezie Madden with Cortes 'C' (Randel Z x Darco) after having some real luck on the last fence.
Jur Vrieling had one time penalty from the first round and went in for a safe clear the second time around riding VDL Zirocco Blue N.O.P (Mr. Blue x Voltaire). The two of them did a beautiful clear round, but once again the time played its part and Jur had to add another time penalty to his score.
Luciana Diniz was the first clear rider entering the arena with Fit for Fun (For Pleasure x Fabriano). Fit for Fun's hind leg on the front pole of the ninth fence prevented the two of them from being clear again though, and four faults were added to the total score. Andre Thieme delivered a fantastic round together with Contanga 3 (Catoki x Contango) and was the first one to be double clear in the Rolex Grand Prix!
The double World Champions Jeroen Dubbeldam and SFN Zenith N.O.P (Rash R x Fuego du Prelet) are for sure back in form and made sure the Aachen audience would get to see a jump-off. Kent Farrington didn't want to be left out and joined the previous two riders for a third time in the ring riding Voyeur (Tolano van't Riethof x Goodwill).
Gregory Wathelet on the other hand was stopped from the jump-off by the yellow and red vertical set as fence number three, finishing the course with four faults on the Con Air-stallion Conrad de Hus. Two more German riders cleared the course for a second time much to the audience’s delight; Daniel Deusser with Cornet d'Amour (Cornet Obolensky x Damiani) - who had some real luck on fence number seven - and Ludger Beerbaum with Chiara 222 (Contender x Coronado).
Kevin Staut's Reveur de Hurtebise HDC (Kashmir van’t Schuttershof x Capricieux des Six Censes) jumped great and looked like he would deliver a clear round, but a pole at 11a fell and Kevin dropped way back in the prize list ending 14th. Ryan des Hayettes (Hugo Gesmeray x Ryon d’Anzex), - ridden by Simon Delestre - really wanted to be clear and twisted and turned to stay far away from the poles. That paid off and the two of them qualified for the jump-off for France.
Last to go in the second round - after being the fastest clear in the round one - was Scott Brash and Hello Sanctos (Quasimodo v. Molendreef x Nabab de Reve). He made the audience gasp on nr 6 b, but stayed clear all the way to the finish line and got one step closer to his Rolex Grand Slam bonus.
Both the first riders out in the jump-off - Andre Thieme with Contanga 3 and Jeroen Dubbeldam with SFN Zenith N.O.P - were stopped from being clear by the very last fence. Also Kent Farrington with Voyeur had to see a pole fall, but earlier in the course.
Daniel Deusser was the first one to produce yet another clear round and that with a fantastic time - 48,37 seconds after doing a more or less impossible turn, inside the open water to a vertical in the middle of the course. Ludger Beerbaum with Chiara tried to catch the time of Deusser, but ended the course in 50,23 seconds.
The second last rider, Simon Delestre with Ryan des Hayettes did the same amazing turn as Deusser but still had to add one second to his time. It looked like Daniel would be the winner of the class when Scott Brash entered the ring with Hello Sanctos as last rider. Brash didn't take the same short turn as Deusser and Delestre, but shaved off some hundreds ending the course half a second faster than Daniel Deusser - creating history in Aachen.
What a class, what a jump-off and what an audience! Once again Aachen delivered and everybody can look forward to the Europeans later this summer.