Forty pairs took to the course this afternoon for the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland at the RDS Dublin Horse Show. The challenging course, crafted by Irish course designer Alan Wade, proved difficult from the start, with many riders encountering faults early on. However, seven competitors eventually mastered the course, advancing to the jump off where only five pairs delivered flawless performances once again.
Ireland was well-represented at the Rolex Grand Prix with eleven riders. Darragh Kenny, the first to compete, sparked hopes of hearing the national anthem, but a fault at the Rolex Series wall dashed those hopes. Riding Hamrah van het Exelhof Z, he finished with 19 faults. Rolex Series ambassador Mark McAuley, riding GRS Lady Amaro, became the first to deliver a clear round, soon followed by Tim Gredley.
Daniel Deusser, a stalwart of the German national team, Olympic team bronze medalist in Rio 2016, and winner of the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in 2021, also earned his place in the jump-off with Killer Queen VDM after a flawless round. François-Xavier Boudant, last year’s champion with Brazyl du Mézel, finished with 4 faults. Michael Pender, Martin Fuchs, or Koen Vereecke will also be in the running for victory.
First to go in the jump-off on the Dublin Main Arena, Mark McAuley and Grs Lady Amaro set a high bar with a clear round in 38.74 seconds. Daniel Deusser tried to beat them, but his time of 39.02 seconds wasn’t enough to take the lead. Mark McAuley held onto the top spot throughout the jump-off until the last competitor, Martin Fuchs, snatched the victory. With a flawlessly executed round, the Rolex Testimonee and Conner Jei, his 13-year-old gelding secured the win in 38.69 seconds. Aaron Wale completed the podium with Carissimo 25.
The Rolex Series now moves to Brussels for the Brussels Stephex Masters, taking place from August 28 to September 1st. The highlight of the event will be the Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, where the world’s top riders and horses will once again compete to etch their names into the prestigious Rolex Series honors list.
Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland ©️ Sportfot pour Rolex Series
It’s a fantastic victory, made even more special thanks to the Rolex Series. After my missed dream in Paris, this success is even more precious. The distance on the last jump was incredible, my horse gave everything to achieve the win. He is so respectful, and I really wanted to get ahead of Mark. He was perfect today.
It was an incredible show, thanks to everyone. Great sport, a very good course, and the association of Rolex and the Rolex Series is truly top-notch. It brings high-quality sport, recognized by the public, and everything met expectations perfectly. Thanks to Rolex for joining the adventure.
It’s already amazing to be in the jump-off for an Irish rider. I feel very grateful and thank Rolex for joining the adventure, as it makes the show more prestigious and competitive. Going into the competition, I knew I couldn’t be relaxed and couldn’t afford any mistakes. Martin remains one of the fastest riders in the world.
It was a great week and an excellent Sunday. I tried to do my best against the best riders in the world. It was show jumping at its finest, and I really enjoyed the jump-off. Thanks to the other competitors for the competition.
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