THERE wasn’t a dry eye in the stadium when Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat claimed the only title he hadn’t yet won in Aachen last Sunday, when a thrilling and dramatic FEI Jumping World Championships came to a close in wonderful fashion.

Riding the incredible 13-year-old mare Dynamix de Belheme, Guerdat was the only competitor to jump five clear rounds over the course of the week to end on his opening day score of 0.86. He had a fence in hand when entering the arena as last to go, but the Swiss maestro did not need it to see off Belgium’s Thibeau Spits in silver with Impress-K van’t Kattenheye Z (5.60).