Press release from Rolex Series Equestrian, edited by World of Showjumping

The RDS Main Arena in Dublin provided the stage for an unforgettable afternoon of sport as the CSIO5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland brought the 150th edition of the RDS Dublin Horse Show, a Rolex Series event, to a thrilling close.

Forty of the world’s finest horses and riders — including past Rolex Grand Prix winners, Olympic champions and rising stars — faced a demanding 1.60m track designed by Ireland’s Alan Wade, renowned for creating courses that are both fair and unforgiving. With 14 obstacles, 17 efforts and a tight time allowed of 77 seconds, the challenge demanded absolute precision, scope, and control – in front of a wildly passionate crowd and an incredible atmosphere.

From the very start, the course proved merciless. Kevin Jochems (NED) was first to go with Camilla van de Helle (Crumble x Casall) but two early mistakes and a time penalty set the tone for a tough afternoon. Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam, the first home favourite to enter the arena, thrilled the crowd with a fast round of 74.39 seconds on James Kann Cruz (Kannan x Cruising), but a single rail kept him out of contention – or so it seemed.

As the class unfolded, rails kept falling. By start number 19, Sweetnam’s early four-fault round still held the lead. Mexico’s Eugenio Garza Pérez and Contago (Cornet Obolensky x Cassini II) came agonisingly close, only to see the final fence on the ground. Young Irish talent Tom Wachman also posted four faults with Tabasco de Toxandria Z (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Cento Lano), finishing exactly inside the time allowed.

With no clear rounds yet on the scoreboard, the tension inside the RDS reached fever pitch. Brazilian legend Rodrigo Pessoa and Major Tom (Vagabond de La Pomme x Heartbreaker) delivered a quick four-fault performance to take over the provisional lead with just five horse-and-rider combinatons to go.

Laura Kraut (USA) and Bisquetta (Bisquet Balou C x Takashi van Berkenbroek) entered the arena as the penultimate pair, delivering a round of perfect rhythm and precision, crossing the finish line in 73.97 seconds — eventually, the only clear of the entire competition. The RDS crowd erupted in celebration, knowing they had just witnessed something truly exceptional. When Trevor Breen (IRL) and Highland President – as the last pair out – (Clinton x Kannan) faulted and eventually opted to retire, the win was Kraut’s. Pessoa took second and Sweetnam third, followed by Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Blueberry (Conrad x Creve Couer) in fourth and Donald Whitaker (GBR) aboard Millfield Colette (Cornet Obolensky x Clearway) in fifth.

“The Dublin Horse Show is one of those bucket list events — my husband Nick Skelton won it five times — so I’m absolutely thrilled,” Kraut said afterwards. “Alan Wade built a course that was careful but fair, and you had to be perfect to go clear. I was lucky to go late, which gave me the chance to study the others and decide exactly what I wanted to do. Bisquetta was brilliant. She’s very brave, very careful, and this year she’s stepped up to another level.”

“The course was exactly what you expect from a Grand Prix like this — tough but fair,” the second placed Pessoa said. “I liked it for my horse, and going late let me really study the lines. My rail down was my mistake: I came in a little hot to the triple. After that, I just tried to be quick and take a few risks to set a strong time. When I saw my result, I was actually rooting for Laura to jump clear — I’d rather be second than go into a jump-off. The atmosphere, the footing, the conditions — everything was perfect for a fantastic afternoon.”

“My day was a bit unusual because I went second,” the third placed Shane Sweetnam said. “Honestly, when I came out of the ring I thought it was over. But as the class went on, it felt old-school — like the days when there weren’t so many clears — and the tension just built. I think if I’d gone later, I might have jumped clear. I was too tight back to fence three, probably because I was thinking too much about avoiding a time fault after last year. Still, my horse jumped great, and I’m thrilled. Any placing in a Rolex Grand Prix is a good placing — especially here in Dublin.”