Edited press release from Royal Windsor Horse Show

The 2025 Royal Windsor Horse Show concluded on Sunday following four exceptional days of top-class equestrian sport. The CSI5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix – the highlight of the week – saw an outstanding performance from Belgium's Gregory Wathelet and Bond Jamesbond de Hay (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) who stormed to the victory. Earlier in the day, Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf and Encore Toi du Linon (Kannan x Desir du Chateau) secured victory in the CSI5* 1.50m Manama Rose Show Stakes. 

The CSI5* jumping at Windsor concluded in a thrilling fight to the finish with the Rolex Grand Prix. Featuring 32 of the world’s best horse-and-rider combinations, Bernardo Costa Cabral’s up-to-height 1.60m course proved challenging. 

In total, nine horse-and-rider combinations went forward to the jump-off against the clock, each vying for a share of the €500,000 prize fund. First into the arena was Kim Emmen (NED) and Imagine N.O.P. (Cassini Gold x Lord Z), her ride at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. However, four faults left the door ajar for the remainder of the field. The first clear round came from Eve Jobs (USA), a 2019 Pan American Games team bronze medalist, who guided her bay gelding Canto Bruno (Cantoblanco x Quality 9) to a steady but faultless round.

Billy Twomey (IRL) and Jumping Jack van de Kalevallei (Kannan x Chin Chin) stepped up the pace, taking almost three seconds off Jobs’ time, however his lead was short lived as Britain’s reigning Olympic team champion Harry Charles riding Sherlock (Bisquet Balou C x Malito de Reve) made up another two seconds to take the pole position at the half-way point, much to the delight of the home fans.

The standard kept improving as the round went on, with Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco (Cassini II x Contender) following Charles into the arena and taking over the lead, with less than half-a-second splitting the two. Robert Whitaker (GBR) and Vermento (Argento x Skippy II) looked to be up with the pace, but a wider turn to the penultimate fence put him behind Charles and he finished in eventual fourth, repeating his result of last year. 

Last into the arena was Gregory Wathelet (BEL), a former winner of this class who also finished second last year. The 2021 Olympic team bronze medalist set off meaning business aboard Bond Jamesbond de Hay, making the tightest of turns and with an impressive gallop down to the final Rolex-oxer to shave 0.06 seconds off Smolders’ time and take the victory.

A delighted Wathelet said: “The last four years competing at Royal Windsor has been really good; winning in 2022, coming second in 2024 and winning again this year - so I’m very happy. I really enjoy riding here, it’s a great show and the crowd are really supportive.”

Speaking about today’s competition, he continued: “I think the course today was very fair. It’s always an advantage to go at the end, you can see the results and see what route you should take. I saw everyone get faster and faster, but I knew my horse and his speed, I knew he likes going fast, so I took some risks, but you have to on a day like today.”

Runner-up Smolders added: “Royal Windsor is such a prestigious show with a great atmosphere. We’ve seen a massive Rolex Grand Prix class today with a good amount of clears - which is a sign of a great course designer. My horse, Monaco, has speed, but I felt like I could have gone a touch faster, and that was the difference between first and second.”

Earlier in the day, the CSI5* 1.50m Manama Rose Show Stakes took place in the iconic Castle Arena. As a single-phase class, it was a true test of speed and agility for the 25 riders who faced the 1.50m, 12 fence course.

First into the arena was Shane Breen (IRL) riding BP Arctic Blue (A Pikachu de Muze x Chacco-Blue), who set the standard for those who followed, producing a stylish but steady clear in a time of 61.47 seconds. This was quickly usurped by Richard Vogel (GER) and Levi Noesar (VDL Zirocco Blue x Baloubet du Rouet), who shaved a second off Breen’s time. Winner of the CSI5* Defender Challenge Stakes earlier this week, Lorenzo de Luca (ITA), once again proved to be a master of speed with a quicker time of 59.22 seconds on Nector vh Veldhof (Quite Easy 958 x Calido I). However, Victor Bettendorf (LUX) and the talented 11-year-old mare Encore Toi du Linon (Kannan x Desir du Chateau) delivered a smooth and well calculated round to finish in 58.08 seconds - a time that could not be matched by the remaining riders.

Speaking on his win, Bettendorf exclaimed: “Royal Windsor is an amazing Show - it is one of my favourites. I was early to go in the class and so I was nervous watching the remaining riders to see if they were going to be quicker than me. I have ridden my horse [Encore Toi du Linon] for a year now, she is really careful, and I am very excited about her future."