The 2021 show jumping calendar was filled with exceptional entertainment, featuring not only the sport’s most decorated competitors but also welcoming a new generation of future stars who shone brightly at the year’s four Rolex Majors. The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping continues to be at the forefront of every rider’s ambition, none more so than Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, who starts the year as the Rolex Grand Slam live contender following his stunning victory at CHI Geneva in December. 

Opening this year’s Rolex Major season in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands from 11-13 March is The Dutch Masters, the latest addition to the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. The largest indoor show in The Netherlands and one of two indoor shows on the Rolex Grand Slam calendar, The Dutch Masters brings a rich with traditions dating back to 1967. This year, show jumping’s very best riders will descend upon the Brabanthallen for four days of world-class competition, culminating in the Rolex Grand Prix on the show’s final day. Hosting the tightest arena of the four Majors, the trust between horse and rider is more crucial than ever, as the combinations navigate the sharp turns, which give them little room for error. Last year’s winner, Austrian Max Kühner, rose to the occasion alongside his talented 11-year-old gelding, Elektric Blue P, and in doing so claimed his first Major victory. 

The second Major of the season, CHIO Aachen – often referred to as the ‘Wimbledon’ of the equestrian world – will once again take place in the North Rhine-Westphalia city in the west of Germany. Dating back to 1924, CHIO Aachen is a show steeped in history and continues to attract more than 350,000 knowledgeable fans across 10 exhilarating days of equestrian sport, which will this year run from 24 June- 3 July. One of the most prestigious competitions on the annual show jumping calendar, CHIO Aachen’s highlight class, the Rolex Grand Prix, takes place on the show’s final day and is the one every rider wants to win, etching their name into equestrian history on the iconic winners’ wall. 2021 saw Rolex’s newest Testimonee, Germany’s Daniel Deusser and his phenomenal mare, Killer Queen VDM, take home the spoils after fulfilling a lifelong dream to be crowned champion. Hot on Deusser’s heels was the young, up-and-coming American rider, Brian Moggre, who at 20-years-old displayed incredible levels of skill and determination to fight-off a field of former world number ones and Olympic, World and European Individual champions to secure second place. 

From 7-11 September, attention turns to Calgary in Canada for the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’. With a reputation of being one of the most demanding courses in the world, it takes a very special partnership to be victorious in the CP ‘International’, presented by Rolex. Rolex Testimonee, Steve Guerdat and his 13-year-old gelding Venard de Cerisy epitomised this, producing two precise and fault-free rounds, the only pair to go double clear and ultimately clinch the coveted trophy. The Rolex Grand Slam has fond memories of this Major, as it was here in 2015 that Great Britain’s Scott Brash became the first winner of the revered Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping following a flawless round aboard his legendary gelding, Hello Sanctos, a feat no rider has been able to emulate since. 

The Major season culminates in Switzerland when riders return indoors to compete at CHI Geneva. Held from 8-11 December in the Palexpo complex, CHI Geneva is one of the most historic and prestigious international shows and has been voted the world’s best show jumping event a record nine times. Hosting the sport’s most accomplished riders, the Rolex Grand Prix is the highlight of the four days of elite competition. Local hero, Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs rode to victory in 2021 with his 10-year-old gelding, Leone Jei, and made history by becoming the first rider of the competition to win consecutive editions after triumphing in 2019.

As the current live contender, Fuchs will be under the spotlight as he prepares to continue his Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping journey at The Dutch Masters. Could 2022 see a new Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping champion crowned?

2021 was a stellar year for you, what are your main ambitions for 2022? 

Having won the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen, my main ambition at the moment is to win the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters in March, as I am in contention to gain a bonus if I win there. So, all of my planning and preparation now is focused on going to 's-Hertogenbosch to try and win the Rolex Grand Prix there. With the pandemic it is difficult to plan, as many shows are being cancelled, but there are a few shows that I am really looking forward to, including La Baule which Rolex is now a partner of. I have not been there many times because of other Nations Cup competitions or other plans from the German Chef d’Equipe, so this year I am really looking forward to competing there. Of course, I always love jumping at CHIO Aachen, and I would love to win the Rolex Grand Prix there again. 

How are you preparing for The Dutch Masters and which horses will you take?

At the moment I am planning on taking Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z. I haven’t brought him out to Florida [to the Winter Equestrian Festival] so he will be fresh for the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters. He is a very good horse for the indoor season, and he finished last year in great form. The Dutch Masters is such an amazing show for so many reasons, I always love going there, and the potential Rolex Grand Slam bonus makes me even more excited to return to 's-Hertogenbosch.

When not at shows, how much time is spent training the horses and developing the younger ones? 

When I am at home, I like to spend as much time as possible with the younger horses, but I am often away competing. So, we have several very talented riders at Stephex Stables who train the young horses and take them to the Young Horse and 2* shows to develop them. If they show good potential, like In Time did, then I will start riding and competing them when they are rising eight-years-old, and see if they can go up the levels.

What are you most looking forward to in your role as President of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping this year? 

After these two very extraordinary years, I am really looking forward to finally seeing the whole team together again. Whether you are the President or not, the goal is to work and move forward together to ensure the very best for our sport. 

How important is it for the four Majors, that make up the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, to communicate and innovate together? 

There is strength in numbers. Each competition has a different vision, and each can be inspired by the other. Each Major has its own specialty, history and qualities, and each one can always improve. It is only by communicating together that we can move forward and develop the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. We are a united group with the same vision for the sport and that ultimately created this concept. We want the group to remain the same as this in order to serve show jumping and to make it grow, by placing the sport and the horse's well-being at the centre. 

How will the Majors build on last year’s events, as we restart the Rolex Grand Slam season this year? 

One thing we will remember from these two years is that the situation has forced us to always be creative and very reactive, according to the constraints imposed upon us. Despite this, we hope above all that 2022 will be more conventional and that the Majors can be held normally. We were very lucky last year, that even with constraints, all the Majors could take place. Moreover, the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is not an annual process, it is a never-ending cycle, so the fact that one year starts again does not change much for us. The aim is to always improve, and to offer the very best of the sport. The welfare of the horse is always at the heart of our concerns and will be even more so this year.

The Rolex Grand Slam 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 €1million bonus. If two shows are won in succession, the bonus is €500,000 or if an athlete wins only 2 majors in a period of four successive shows, the bonus is €250,000.