Palexpo-pet Steve Guerdat returned to international competition just in time to make it to CHI Geneva, after having had two back surgeries in 2025.

To find a worthy winner among the ten best horse-and-rider combinations in the world, the course designer duo Gerard Lachat and Gregory Bodo had set a 12-fence first-round track with a time allowed of 74 seconds. Here Guerdat walks the course, followed by Swiss chef d'equipe Peter van der Waaij.

With his 16-year-old gelding Venard de Cerisy (Open Up de Semilly x Djalisco du Guet), Guerdat was the pathfinder... .

... and much to the delight of the Swiss crowds, delivered a clear to open the competition on a high note. Despite having all of Palexpo behind them, Guerdat and Venard de Cerisy picked up eight penalties in the second round to eventually finish 9th – perhaps still a bit rusty after a long break.

France's Julien Epaillard and his home-bred Donatello d’Auge were the second pair out on Friday night.

Epaillard measuring the IJRC upright prior to the class.

In the first round, Epaillard had the b-element at the oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination at fence eight down...

... while in the second round, he matched Vogel’s pace, as Donatello d’Auge stepped into another gear – but paid for it at the penultimate IJRC-vertical where a rail fell, to finish on a total of eight penalties, placing 8th in the end.

Ireland's Daniel Coyle was competing at his first ever Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final with Incredible.

With one down in both rounds, Coyle and Incredible finished seventh.

Jumping on the sidelines... Coyle's long-time supporter and horse owner Ariel Grange.

In the first round, Harrie Smolders and the evergreen Monaco got away with a strong touch in the double at fence five...

...but their luck ran out when the front pole on the oxer at fence nine fell to the floor, leaving them on four penalties after round one.

Returning in reverse order in round two for a shortened, nine-fence track, Smolders opened with a stylish clear on Monaco.

In the end, the ultra-consistent pair finished fifth.

Germany's Richard Vogel had chosen Cloudio for the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final 2025.

The powerful pair looked well on their way to a clear in the first round, but a slight miscommunication in the three-stride distance between fences nine and ten cost them a pole.

In the second round, Vogel took a daring approach, powering through and jumping clear to take an early lead and piling pressure on those to come...

Vogel thanks the wonderful Cloudio, before running off to his interview with Alban Poudret.

Vogel's risk was rewarded with a podium finish.

Belgium's Gilles Thomas taking it all in, before his first Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final.

Riding Qalista DN, Gilles Thomas impressed once again, jumping clear in what was undoubtedly the biggest track the talented 9-year-old mare has jumped in her career.

The wonderful Qalista DN.

An unlucky fault in the second round saw Gilles and Qalista finish fourth in the end.

Marc Van Dijck keeping a close eye on Gilles and Qalista.

Germany's Christian Kukuk walking the course.

Seventh out in the order, Germany's Christian Kukuk and Just Be Gentle left the fences intact but picked up a single time penalty when just fractions over the time allowed of 74 seconds.

In the second round, Kukuk and Just Be Gentle added four faults to their score to finish sixth overall.

It wasn't Ben Maher's night...

In the first round, the current world number four and Dallas Vegas Batilly jumped a beautiful round...

...only to see a rail on the final fence on the floor to add four faults to their score.

In the second round, things got worse when Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly parted ways after a sharp roll-back to fence no. six.

Current world number one Kent Farrington was the last man out in Friday's Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final.

With an effective clear, Farrington and Toulayna took the lead after round one.

“I watched Scott’s round and my strategy was to try to go very smooth,” Farrington explained about his plan for the second round. “I thought I would catch him with my horse’s natural speed, while his horse is also naturally very fast. On the second to last fence, they were all having it down, so I took my time to make sure I cleared it and it swung me a little bit to the outside. I ended up on ten strides to the last. I think the others went nine, so I lost by a fraction – so not a good strategy.”

Farrington heads for his interview with Alban Poudret, after finishing an agonising 0.16 seconds behind Brash.

The Union Jack in all its glory at Palexpo.

Third placed Richard Vogel and British chef d'equipe Di Lampard.

Richie's risk paid off with a podium finish...

...while Kent's smooth approach placed him second...

...leaving the one and only Scott Brash to first, and with another title to add to his incredible list of accolades.

Denise Moriarty with Toulayna and David Honnet with Hello Chadora Lady having a chat during the prize giving.

Felicia Wallin with Cloudio.

Sometimes we all need a little help from a friend...

Congratulations to the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final 2025 grooms; Emma Uusi-Simola, Sanne Melsen, Morgane Tresch, Denise Moriarty, Heather Oswald, David Honnet, Felicia Wallin, Gwen Bellamy, Caroline Belouet and Sofie Karlsson.

...and congratulations to these guys as well!