Martin Fuchs had a feeling on Sunday that it might be his day – and it was, in spades, as he and Leone Jei won the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen after an epic 11-way jump-off.
The Swiss rider and Adolfo Juri’s star 13-year-old finished two seconds ahead of Laura Kraut and Baloutinue, with Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme half a second behind in third.
This was a fifth major title for Martin but a first Aachen grand prix, 21 years after his uncle Markus did the same.
“A great day; a lot of emotions,” he said. “Winning in Aachen has been something I’ve tried to do many times, and I’ve been close. Today, when Leone Jei jumped so incredible, I was very focused for the jump-off, and I thought today could be the day. I didn’t want to let him down again; last year I made a rider’s mistake in the jump-off so today I thought ‘Let’s try to improve’.
“It’a special day for the whole family and team. Leone Jei is such an incredible horse; in all the majors, he’s always there, and when I do a good job, usually he leaves the poles up. In a ring like this, he has a huge stride, which allows me to leave out strides, go full risk and still usually jump clear. To be riding a horse like this – I’m very lucky.”
Of 40 starters, only 14 had jumped clear to make it to the second round, in which they were joined by two with time-faults and two on four. Of those 14, only three did not repeat the feat, leaving a huge and stellar jump-off line-up.
The European champions Steve and Dynamix had jumped a fabulous clear on 52.59sec but left the door ajar. Martin took advantage of Leone Jei’s ground-covering ability and left strides out on the crucial lines; forward and accurate and focused, they got the perfect shot to the gold double that caught many others out, and rode a beautiful line to the last vertical.
Last in, Laura and St Bride’s Farm’s 15-year-old put in more strides but were faster in places, and had their noses in front at one point, but Laura took just a check to the double and went slightly wider.
Very happy with second
“I’m very happy with second,” Laura said. “When there were 11 in the jump-off, with a lot of the fastest riders in the world, I thought ‘This could end not so well’. I knew the golden double was the thing to jump; it was very difficult, and many people were quick until that. I wasn’t sure I was up on Martin, because I know how fast he is. So when I jumped the wall, instead of taking all the risks like he did, I chickened out and thought ‘I’m going to play it safe and not have it down’, which is where he went well into the lead – and the way you went to the last fence, no chance! So in the end, I’m very happy.”
Steve said he had “many reasons to be happy”; he was delighted with how Dynamix went, and he knew the win would take a horse with a bigger stride than her.
Asked what he thought Leone Jei would say to him at that point if he could, Martin said: “Let’s go again!” And when asked how he would spend his prize money, he said that most of it would go to his owners and parents, so “I’m not going to see much of it”.
“My parents are very generous with me, so I’m sure my mum will make an exquisite dinner tomorrow for us,” he said.
Credit has to go to Nina Mallevaey of France and Dynastie de Beaufour, who finished in 50.01sec, but clipped the gold double, to finish fifth.
Best of the Brits was Ben Maher with his European Championships ride Point Break in 13th; the pair were unlucky to tip the first element of the Rolex triple in the first round but Ben then put his foot down, securing a place in round two as one of the fastest four-faulters. They came back to jump a polished and speedy clear but the penalties carried over.
The result also helped Ben to win the leading rider title of the show, and his Paris Olympic team gold medal winner Dallas Vegas Batilly was leading horse.
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