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After two back surgeries in one year, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat – 2012 Olympic Champion and 2023 European Champion – made a return to international competition this past week, at Riesenbeck International in Germany. Guerdat’s comeback will make it possible for him to compete at the most important show of the year for the Swiss; CHI Geneva, which takes place between 10-14 December at Palexpo – where the 43-year-old undoubtedly is the darling of the spectators. 

However, Guerdat never targeted CHI Geneva after his second back surgery of 2025 became a reality in mid-September. “Whether I would be back in time for CHI Geneva or not was never on the agenda,” Guerdat explains. “After Calgary, I didn't have a choice but to operate again. It couldn't stay the way it was; it was getting a bit dangerous. There were neurological issues and no way to avoid the surgery, or to wait. I had to do it.”

“Knowing it was the second surgery in a year, and it already took me twelve weeks to come back from the first one, I never even aimed for Geneva – I did not think it would be possible. But at least it has served as a little extra motivation – a little sugar at the end, if we could make it happen. And we did, just in time,” Guerdat says.

Two-and-a-half months after his second surgery, Guerdat is back in the saddle – and jumped his stars Dynamix de Belheme, Albführen’s Iashin Sitte and Venard de Cerisy at last week’s CSI2* show in Riesenbeck. “I think all the work I did after the first surgery has helped me to recover better from the second one,” Guerdat points out. “I have had two hours of training seven times a week, and an additional hour to an hour-and-a-half of physiotherapy three times a week – so it’s been busy!”

“At the beginning, I was of course prevented from doing anything because for quite a while after the surgery you cannot make any rotation or similar movements, or any power exercises,” Guerdat explains. “But once I got going with the rehabilitation program, we have been working a lot on my mobility to make my back and my spine more mobile, and at the same time we have focused on strengthening the rest of my body. I have also had some issues with my right leg, that has suffered from some damaged nerves, so we have also worked on the neurologic system.”

“It’s been a bit hard mentally, more so this time than after the first surgery,” Guerdat tells. “Time passed by faster after the first surgery, when I was out for twelve weeks. This time, I also had five weeks after Dinard where I did not show at all while I tried to do some different therapy treatments in the hope that I could avoid a second surgery. However, there was no alternative than going back into surgery. I did another two shows, at Stephex at the end of August and at Spruce Meadows at the beginning of September, before being operated and afterwards time went by very, very slowly. It’s been a long wait to get back in the saddle.”

“I have of course been very motivated to get back to riding, but a bit worried at the same time because no one can really give you proper answers when you have concerns of what will happen later on,” Guerdat says. “Luckily, I have very good staff at home with Emma and Saija, they have been riding my older horses as they did the first part of the year. And Guillaume, my rider, has been doing the younger ones and jumped the eight-year-olds for me. The older horses didn't need to jump, they have experience enough. I was also not going to get back from nothing to jumping five-star shows; I had to start myself with small jumps again, so I did that together with my older horses. That whole process went quite smooth.”

“I have been back riding now for about five weeks, and Riesenbeck was my first show since Spruce Meadows,” Guerdat shares. “Everything felt ok physically, but I still need to get better, and my body needs to adjust – jumping two proper rounds at a show is not the same for your body as popping over 1.25m fences at home – but that's how it should be right now. I don't think I have pushed myself in anyway, and I have certainly not done anything that the doctors or medical team around me have told me that I shouldn't do.”

“Both Dynamix and Iashin felt very good,” Guerdat continues about his return to international competition. “I’m not sure yet if Venard – who is 16 now – will be in good enough shape for Geneva, but I have a national show this week where I'm going to jump a class to see if he's just a bit rusty or whether he's just not fit enough. Then I’ll decide afterwards if I take him to Geneva or not.”

“Obviously, I’m looking very much forward to CHI Geneva,” Guerdat says about competing on home soil at the Palexpo. “I'm always very excited when Geneva's coming. On one hand, I could say I'm more excited this year because I missed out on so much. On the other hand, I know I'm not 100% and the horses are also not, and that takes a little bit of the excitement away – knowing that we're not going to be in top form there. We would have needed a few more shows before we are back at that level.”

“However, I always believe there is a little lucky star that's shining down at me when I compete in Geneva – helping me make things possible just there, things that wouldn't be possible at other shows. So, let’s say I'm hoping for that little star to appear this year as well,” Guerdat closes off.

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