SWITZERLAND’S Steve Guerdat was back to top form when steering Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte to win the coveted €1 million Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show on Sunday afternoon, when the first three to go in the jump-off took the podium places.

The 2012 Olympic champion said after his win: “This one does feel very special. Dublin has always meant a lot to me, it’s typically one of the reasons why I love my sport so much. I came in good years, in bad years, when I had really good competitive horses, also some more difficult years, but I didn’t want to miss that show.

“Last year, I was injured. To come back this year, where I actually had a horrible week except for the two main classes, where Iashin was unbelievable, jumping double clear in the Aga Khan on Friday and winning today. I never gave up. I always came back and tried hard to win that class. It feels very special and it is a victory that means a lot for me today.”

Prize pot

Five days of spectacular jumping in the Laya Arena drew to a close with the much-anticipated 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix and a staggering prize fund of €1 million up for grabs - the first time that a pot of this size has been on offer on these shores. The start list of 40 included some of the world’s best - indeed the top three in the world.

Ireland’s own Alan Wade was tasked with designing a course that would be worthy of such a prize and that he did - although when two of the first four competitors jumped clear in round one, he began to wonder if he had made things too easy. However, that thought was soon proved wrong as his course of 14 fences with 17 jumping efforts and a time allowed of 80 seconds challenged even the most accomplished.

The nerve-wrecking role of first to go fell to Dutch rider Arne van Heel with the 10-year-old Holstein stallion Keaton HV, who rode an impressive opening clear round. Man of the moment, Derry’s Jordan Coyle was fourth into the arena, riding the 15-year-old gelding Chaccolino and, continuing his run of exceptional form, they too recorded a clear round to ensure a jump-off. The next nine combinations weren’t so fortunate. Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam (Pia Maria H) and Trevor Breen (Highland President) were among those to incur faults. Guerdat and his 12-year-old gelding were 14th to take on the track and the pair jumped a flawless clear to book their place in the jump-off.

Lt Michaeli Byrne on MSH Claregalway became the first female member of the Irish Army equitation school to compete in the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, where she finished fourth in the jump-off \ Lorraine O’Sullivan

They were followed by Irish Army Equitation School rider Lt Michaeli Byrne with the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare MSH Claregalway (Cornet Obolensky x Acobat II), bred by Niall and John Mullins and owned by the Minister for Defence. This year was Byrne’s first time to ride in the international classes at the RDS, but it was impossible to tell, as the pair jumped a brilliant clear round to secure their chance to jump again.

Another six combinations did their best, but were caught out by Wade’s challenging track - including world number one and previous winner of the class, Kent Farrington (USA) on the pre-class favourite Greya, as well as Daniel Coyle on Farrel - before two French riders each jumped clear to proceed to round two, namely Nicolas Sers on Eleven de Riverland and Olivier Robert on Iglesias DV.

Ireland’s Jason Foley (Cute Face) picked up four faults, but were followed by Michael Pender, who recorded the next clear round, riding his own home-bred nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Madgeslane Louis in his first five-star 1.60m class. A further five combinations faulted, before world number two Richard Vogel (GER) rode Cloudio to a textbook clear.

A further seven riders were without success before the ninth and last clear first round was recorded by the penultimate combination, former Irish chef d’equipe and last year’s runner-up, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa riding Major Tom.

When asked about his clever course, Wade said: “We had perfect conditions today and a good field of horses. [There was] a sense of relief that after one horse, we had a clear round, but then worried after [four] horses that we had two clear rounds and I said ‘oh no!’. But the sport won out in the end, I think it was fair.”

Tricky jump-off

Wade, course designer for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, set a tricky jump-off course, which demanded great focus and composure. With some bending lines, those able to jump the huge fences at an angle were at an advantage, while the tight turn-back from fence four to five was where the faster combinations gained time.

Of his intriguing jump-off track, Wade said: “When we had nine in it [jump-off], I felt obliged to put up a few fences in the second round; they were jumping for a lot of money. I said we’ll just let the best athlete-and-horse combination win. I think the crowd enjoyed it, I think it was good for sport and it was good here in Dublin on the Aga Khan 100 years anniversary and sure we invented show jumping here in Dublin - we’re leaders, not followers.”

Van Heel and Keaton HV were first to take on the shortened course of seven fences and they jumped a super clear round in 41.47 seconds.

Afterwards, the Dutch rider said: “He (Keaton HV) liked this place as he has a really big canter. When he came in, I felt that he was happy and had space that he could ‘fly’. I think the course was quite good for him today and I’m incredibly happy.”

The crowd erupted as second to go, Coyle on Chaccolino, also jumped clear and knocked a couple of seconds off Van Heel’s time to finish in 39.27 and take the lead. Guerdat was next in and he really went for it, riding a very fast and accurate round with Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte to stop the clock in 37.81 and move into first place, relegating Coyle to second.

Byrne and MSH Claregalway followed Guerdat and, despite it being their Dublin debut, they jumped clear in a slightly slower time of 44.27 to put them in fourth place. With four double clears on the board, the next four each collected four faults, with Sers (FRA) being the fastest of them to claim fifth place, ahead of Vogel (GER) in sixth, Pender in seventh and Robert (FRA) in eighth, while Pessoa (BRA) chose to retire after slipping between fences and incurring jumping faults.

Switzerland's Steve Guerdat on Albfuehren’s Lashin Sitte leads the victory lap after winning the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show \ Lorraine O’Sullivan

Special

Guerdat missed out on numerous competitions in 2025 due to having two separate back surgeries on a herniated disc. He is now back to full health and took home a very generous €300,000 first prize.

“I think there is something very special about Dublin and La Baule and Falsterbo, and I think those shows are the ones that wrote the history of our sport and the reason why many of us started riding and many kids dream of coming and competing one day. Thanks to the support of Rolex, they were able to bring them to a different level and I think that’s a win-win for us riders and for the sport in general, so I’m so grateful that they stepped up in those kind of shows,” said Guerdat.

“Personally, I try not to forget where I come from and what was my dream when I was a child and, thanks to a sponsor like this, we can hopefully keep on motivating a new generation to keep on doing what we like to do and ride horses in front of crowds like this, at venues like Dublin.”

Privilege

Runner-up Coyle said of Chaccolino: “It’s a privilege actually to get to ride a horse like this. In the end, it actually makes the riding quite easy - when you have a horse that tries so hard like this, my job is quite simple. I can’t thank everyone enough for giving me the chance to ride him - Elan Farm have been a long-time supporter of me, we’re already together 10 years. They found me another superstar. [This week] I think I’ve won five classes and I was second four times.”

Coyle continued: “We do six months in Wellington [Florida] and then six months in New York in the summer. [Team manager] Jessica Kürten has given me an unbelievable opportunity this year with Chaccolino to go to some really good shows and, as everyone can see this week, it’s actually really brought me and him up a level as well, so I have to be really thankful to her.”

Byrne was proud to be representing the Equitation School in its 100th anniversary year. “It’s my first-ever Dublin internationals, and this year has been a big year for us. We jumped our first senior Nations Cup and she’s just really been on a roll since then,” she said. “Today, I was more trying to have a good round and use it as good experience but she jumped her heart out, as she does, and then with the 100-year anniversary, the timing is lovely. I couldn’t be prouder of my mare.”

John and Niall Mullins were the recipients of the €1,000 IFA Horse Project prize as the breeders of the highest-place Irish-bred.