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Scott Brash wins Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping

Sep 14, 2015

Great Britain's Scott Brash has made history by becoming the first and only rider to win the three equestrian Majors consecutively, claiming the pinnacle of equestrian sporting achievement - the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping title and a €1,000,000 bonus.

In a sport with top-level competition all year round, winning just one of the three Majors is a goal that motivates all riders. However, to dominate top sport consistently takes a truly unique horse and rider partnership – a legendary one that will remain etched in the annals of the sport.

Riding his formidable horse Hello Sanctos (Quasimodo vd Molendreef x Nabab de Reve), Scott Brash started his Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping campaign by winning the Rolex Grand Prix at the greatest indoor show in the world, CHI Geneva in December 2014. In May 2015, he then went on to claim the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen, the title to which every rider aspires. The final part of this Grand Slam challenge came with his third victory in the CP International presented by Rolex during the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’.

The build-up to the Grand Prix was dominated by warm weather and a buzz of excitement from the large crowd who knew they could be watching history being made. But conditions changed on the day of the CP International presented by Rolex and the riders were faced with wet conditions and a drop in temperature. Forty horse and rider combinations started the competition with twelve going through to the second round. As Scott Brash had posted the fastest time in the opening round, he had the benefit of watching his fellow competitors jump round what course designer Leopoldo Palacios described as "the biggest course on the circuit".

The tension inside the Spruce Meadows International ring was electric as the huge crowd went silent each time a new partnership entered. Poles dropped and faults accumulated, and for a while it appeared that a single time fault from Brazil's Pedro Veniss on Quabri de L'Isle (Kannan x Socrate de Chivre) and the 2013 Grand Prix winner, Pieter Devos on Dylano (Cento Lano x Athlet Z), would be enough to take them into a jump-off. With Scott Brash the last to go, he knew that a clear round would win him the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping and the record bonus.

As he has done on so many previous occasions riding Hello Sanctos, he rose majestically to the challenge and went clear barely touching a pole throughout his winning round leaving Devos to second and Veniss to third place.

Scott Brash said, “Winning one of the equestrian Majors was an incredible achievement, to win two was a dream come true, but to go on and complete the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping is beyond belief. I have a very special horse in Hello Sanctos, and some amazingly supportive owners in Lord & Lady Harris, and Lord & Lady Kirkham. This close partnership has enabled Hello Sanctos and myself to achieve success that will never be forgotten, and I would like to thank all those who have played a part in making this happen.”

1 HELLO SANCTOS QUASIMODO VAN DE MOLENDREEF BEL42500 SBS Scott BRASH GBR 0/0/70.75 500.000 $
2 DYLANO CENTO LANO BEL42222 A.E.S. Pieter DEVOS BEL 0/1 300.000 $
3 QUABRI DE L ISLE KANNAN 102XB32 SF Pedro VENISS BRA 0/1 200.000 $
4 CRISTALLO CARETINO USA10037 Holst Richard SPOONER USA 0/4 130.000 $
5 HH AZUR THUNDER VAN DE ZUUTHOEVE 103QN45 SBS Mclain WARD USA 0/5 70.000 $
6 CONRAD DE HUS CON AIR 102ZA68 Holst Gregory WATHELET BEL 0/8 55.000 $
7 CORTES'C' RANDEL Z BEL42290 BWP Elizabeth MADDEN USA 0/8 40.000 $
8 DIXSON VIGO D'ARSOUILLES 103CR29 BWP Ian MILLAR CAN 0/9 35.000 $
9 CAPETOWN OKLUND 102UI85 KWPN Wout-Jan VAN DER SCHANS NED 0/10 25.000 $
10 FIRST CHOICE 15 FOR KEEPS 103FO16 Hess Yann CANDELE CAN 1/10 20.000 $

13 CYLANA SKIPPY II 103EC16 BWP Reed KESSLER USA 4 5.000 $
15 VOYEUR TOLANO VAN 'T RIETHOF 102TH86 KWPN Kent FARRINGTON USA 4 5.000 $
17 CALENO 3 CALIDO ASS 103CX14 Hess Georgina BLOOMBERG USA 4 5.000 $
19 TRIPPLE X III NAMELUS R GBR43241 A.E.S. Tiffany FOSTER CAN 4 5.000 $

Source: Press release Rolex/Revolution Sports + Entertainment.