British double Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash is eyeing a return to Aachen after winning the prestigious Longines Grand Prix of St Gallen in Switzerland with his Paris 2024 medal-winning ride Hello Jefferson.
Scott and the 16-year-old gelding, with whom he sealed Olympic team glory for Britain in France last year, bagged the €165,000 (£138,822) first prize by a tenth of a second, over Nicolas Sers and Eleven De Riverland in second.
Austria’s Katharina Rhomberg was third with Cuma 5. Geraldine Straumann and Long John Silver 3 were the highest-placed combination from the home side, finishing sixth.
Scott has been trying out new bridles with Jefferson, who is owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham.
“With 16 in the jump-off it was very quick and I can’t really say where we won it, just quick all around the track, but everyone had to take care down a long distance to a short, two-stride double and that was tricky enough, but he jumped well and I was happy with him,” said Scott.
“He had a break after Geneva and I’m trying to build him up for Aachen in a good way. In Rome, I tried a different bridle and he wasn’t happy. This week, he’s in a combination bridle and I’m very happy with that and delighted with him.”
The result is another addition to Jefferson’s already sparkling crown. The Cooper VD Heffinck son, bred in Belgium by Bernard Mols, has other top-level grands prix victories on his CV, as well as the 2024 London leg of the FEI World Cup, and 2022 world team bronze.
Looking ahead, 2025 is 10 years since Scott won the grand prix at CHIO Aachen with Hello Sanctos, on his way to securing the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping title for consecutive grand prix wins at CHI Geneva (December, 2014), CHIO Aachen (May, 2015) and Spruce Meadows Masters (September, 2015).
At St Gallen, five Brits were among the 50 starters over course-designer Gerard Lachat’s 1.60m course. Scott and Jefferson’s Paris 2024 gold medal-winning team-mates Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly were among the 16 to jump clear in the first round, rolling one pole in the second to finish 10th.
Matt Sampson also recorded a British victory at the Swiss five-star last week, partnering Pretty Pi’Que De’Luxe to win the Prize CSIO Club 5* 1.45m two-phase class.
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