At the start of the Rolex Grand Prix, which marked Rolex’s 25th anniversary as the event’s sponsor, it was hard to predict the winner because the standard of competition was so high. Kent Farrington’s victory with Greya between the reins, brought an exceptional week at the CHI Geneva to a close with a record of 49,200 spectators attending the show, making this Farrington’s third Rolex Grand Slam Major victory.
Course designers Grégory Bodo and Gérard Lachat once again created a Rolex Grand Prix that lived up to all expectations. The first two riders, Daniel Coyle and Ben Maher, managed to overcome the obstacles, but were penalised one time point. It was not until the tenth rider, Piergiorgio Bucci on Hantano, that the crowd was able to applaud the first clear round. There were then a few faults from the Swiss riders, including Martin Fuchs and L&L Lorde, and Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme, who were both unlucky with the first obstacle of the double, which proved to be the real challenge this afternoon. How frustrating! However, Shane Sweetnam and his powerful grey, James Kann Cruz –who was already third here in 2022 – promised a jump-off. This was followed by Marc Dilasser and Arioto du Gèvres, and then the only Swiss representative in the jump-off, Jason Smith with his exceptional horse, Picobello van’tRoosakker. For his first participation in a Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping stage, the Scottish-born rider celebrated qualifying for the jump-off as if it were a victory. In total, seven male riders and one female rider qualified for the jump-off of this highly selective Rolex Grand Prix.
In the jump-off, Shane Sweetnam set the bar with a double clear in 41.39 seconds. Next up was Switzerland’s Jason Smith, who found his rhythm in the second half of the jump-off but was unable to beat the Irishman’s time. Then it was the turn of Kent Farrington and his grey horse, Greya, to take to center stage.
The American proved that his world number one ranking is well deserved, particularly thanks to his 11-year-old mare. The pair flew over the obstacles with ease, stopping the clock in a sensational 40.04 seconds, besting Sweetnam’s time by more than one second and three tenths. The next riders tried their luck but were unsuccessful. Thibeau Spits, who was only competing in his second Rolex Grand Slam event after Aachen in 2024, completed the podium with Impress-K Van’T Kettenheye Z.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well in Geneva because I love this tournament, and I want to match my horses’ level of performance when they’re in such good form,” said Farrington who captured his second win in Geneva. “I am very proud of my mare, who has been incredible throughout the season. She has won seven five-star Grand Prix events this year, but Geneva is undoubtedly the most prestigious of them all. My primary goal next year will undoubtedly be to ensure that my horses are ready for the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.” The Rolex Grand Slam returns in March, with the Rolex Grand Prix at the Dutch Masters.
Since 1926, the CHI Geneva is one of the world’s famous show-jumping events. Not only thanks to its long tradition but also thanks to its constant strive for exceeding expectations, important success factors to the 5* show. Every year an average of 42,000 spectators visit the largest indoor jumping arena in the world (5,400 square metres) to experience live top sport. The two World Cup Finals (1996 & 2010), the thirteen ROLEX IJRC Top 10 Finals staged since 2001 and being awarded the “Best Show Award” title again by L´Année Hippique for the 9th time are some of the recent years highlights’.
But what really differentiates Geneva from other indoor shows? It is the indoor show with the longest tradition. The special balance between attention to detail and persistence of excellence, supported by a committee of sport passionate horse lovers and the 700 fully-motivated and enthusiastic volunteers, the soul and heart of our competition, make the adventure come true year after year. On December 9-13, 2026, the 100th anniversary of the Geneva competition will be celebrated and may include an additional day.
Photos couftesy © CHI de Genève / Photo scoopdyga
By IHP/Jumping edited press release
