GENEVA was definitely the place for international show jumpers to be at the weekend, with the 62nd five-star CHI Geneva hosting the final show jumping major of the year. Classes including the Rolex Grand Prix (part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping), the Rolex Top 10 final and an Under 25 Grand Prix attracted the cream of competitors to the prestigious Swiss show. Competitions ran from Wednesday until Sunday, with the five-star classes starting on Thursday and Irish riders making an impression from day one!

The Rolex Grand Prix took centre stage on Sunday and, out of 40 starters, only seven jumped clear in the first round. One of those was Louth’s Mark McAuley riding the Irish-bred GRS Lady Amaro.

The pair put in another super performance in the jump-off, with another clear round in a time of 39.77 seconds, which secured second place and just over €230,000 in prize money.

They were pipped to the top spot on this occasion by Germany’s Richard Vogel riding United Touch S, who jumped clear in 37.14 seconds to take the winner’s prize of €390,000. The third podium place went to Christian Kukuk riding Checker 47, also for Germany.

Derry’s Daniel Coyle and Legacy picked up two time penalties, so they missed out on a place in the jump-off, but they finished in ninth place.

Runner-up Mark McAuley on the podium with winner Germany’s Richard Vogel and third placed Christian Kukuk in the Rolex Grand Prix \ Tomas Holcbecher

The one to win

Speaking afterwards, runner-up McAuley said: “It is always a tough course, and it needs to be, because the best horses in the world are here every year. For me, this is the Grand Prix that I want to win. I can remember sitting in the stands when Pedro Veniss won in 2016 and having goosebumps, and ever since, this has been the one I want to win. After my first round, I thought maybe it would be my day today, but then I saw Richie’s (Vogel) jump-off and I have to say I lost a little bit of hope,” he laughed. “Obviously, I was still going to try, but realistically, today there was no beating Richie. I started my jump-off trying to win, but halfway around, I realised it was not going to be today and then I just tried to stay clear and ride for second place.”

Of his 10-year-old mare, GRS Lady Amaro, McAuley said: “She was bred in Ireland by my uncle (Denis Hickey from Co Wexford) and my cousin Patrick Hickey rode her until she was eight. The year she was eight, Patrick came to work for me here in Geneva and he brought the mare with him. She was always very competitive, she won a lot of 1.30-1.35m classes with him, but she never looked like she would be able to do something like this Grand Prix today. I think at the end of the day, those are the best horses; the ones that just keep trying, keep jumping the jumps, they don’t have to be flashy or making a show. That is her down to a tee, she just doesn’t want to touch the jumps and she fights for her rider. The more I am trying, the more she tries with me, which is a very nice feeling, and quite a rare one.”

Under 25 Grand Prix

Saturday saw another amazing result for Ireland, when Kilkenny’s Seamus Hughes-Kennedy and Cuffesgrange Cavadora (ISH), bred by Eamon Sheehan, also from Co Kilkenny, won the Under 25 Grand Prix.

The jump-off saw 11 combinations through, of which Hughes-Kennedy was the fastest in 37.33 seconds. Ireland’s success continued as Co Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy rode Robin Bingham’s Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick (ISH), bred by Dorothea Wilson, to take sixth place.

Seamus Hughes Kennedy and Cuffesgrange Cavadora (ISH) won the Under 25 Grand Prix at Geneva \ Tomas Holcbecher

Rolex Top 10

Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz (ISH) had performed consistently well in order to secure their place in the Rolex Top 10 final and they continued that form into the first round of Friday’s competition, as they jumped an outstanding clear round – one of only three of the 10 combinations to do so.

All 10 jumped again in the second round, where Sweetnam and the 10-year-old gelding bred by Patrick Connolly had two fences down to finish in sixth place.

Shane Sweetman and James Kann Cruz (ISH) came sixth in the Rolex Top 10 \ Tomas Holcbecher

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Venard De Cerisy managed the only double clear of the class to take the win.

Meanwhile, Derry’s Daniel Coyle and Legacy took third place in the 1.55m speed class on Friday afternoon. Coyle and the 13-year-old mare jumped clear in a time of 66.09 seconds, but they could not match the time of 64.33 seconds set by French winner Kevin Staut riding Visconti Du Telman.

Runner-up

Niamh McEvoy was on top form on Friday morning when she rode Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick (ISH) to claim runner-up position in the Under 25 1.45m Speed Class at Geneva. The pair jumped an excellent round to finish less than half a second behind the winner, Norway’s Jenny Krogsaeter with Kwik Tweet.

Niamh McEvoy and Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick (ISH) came sixth in the Under 25 Grand Prix, following a runner-up finish in the Under 25 1.45m Speed class the day before \ Tomas Holcbecher

Thursday had seen Seamus Hughes-Kennedy and Cuffesgrange Cavadora (ISH) get off to a good start, when they scored a third place finish in the Under 25 1.40m speed class, while Co Down’s Conor Swail and the 10-year-old gelding Casturano (Castelan 3 x Canturo) finished fourth in the 1.45m two-phase class, which was won by Victor Bettendorf (LUX) riding Astuce De La Roque.