Thrilling CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix of Knokke won by Jérôme Guery
The Rolex Grand Prix presented by Audi at Knokke Hippique proved to be a challenging one. It was Jérôme Guery and Quel Homme de Hus who ended on top after an thrilling first round and – with the complete top three of the FEI Longines Rankings qualified – absolute top-of-the-bill jump-off. The second place went to Kevin Staut and third was for Max Kühner.
The course, designed by the Italian Uliano Vezzani and his Belgian colleagues Bart Vonck and Pieter Vitse, was a selective one: only 9 of the 48 combinations managed to qualify for the jump-off. Fences were knocked down all over the course, but many seemed to find the line towards fence eleven, the liverpool, to be a tricky one.
It wasn’t until start number 19 before we noted down the first clear. It was the American rider Lillie Keenan who managed to remain faultless with her Vigo d’Arsouilles-gelding Fasther (bred by the Dutch family Moerings and been successful under rider Bas Moerings) before he was sold to the USA in January 2019. Belgian Jérôme Guery followed her example right before the break: he penned down a clear round with his Quel Homme de Hus (v. Quidam de Revel).
Steve Guerdat and Albfuehren’s Maddox (v. Cohiba 1198) followed suit, as did Martin Fuchs with Clooney 51 (v. Cornet Obolensky), Mclain Ward and Kasper van het Hellehof (v. Emerald), Kevin Staut and Bulgaria d’ Engandou (v. Vargas de Ste Hermelle), Max Kühner and Elektric Blue P (v. Eldorado v/d Zeshoek) and Scott Brash with Hello Vincent (v. Consul DI Vie Z).
Daniel Duesser stayed clear with Killer Queen VDM (v. Eldorado v/d Zeshoek) as well, meaning that the entire top three of the FEI Longines Rankings had been qualified for the Knokke jump-off.
World class jump-off
And what a thrilling, world class jump-off it was. First start Lillie Keenan and Fasther put in a smooth and quick round, only to bring the Stephex-oxer down. The Olympic combination of Jérôme Guery and Quel Homme de Hus was quick and stayed clear, only narrowly touching the final Rolex-oxer. They clocked 38,98 seconds.
With the challenge set, Steve Guerdat and Albfuehren’s Maddox unfortunately couldn’t live up to the challenge, taking down the Stephex-oxer as well. Luck wasn’t on Martin Fuchs’ side either: the Swiss rider pulled away his unimaginably quick Clooney 51 from the Rolex-double and took two time penalties as well.
McLain Ward’s Kasper van het Hellehof went into the Rolex-double a little too quickly as well and was penalized with a number four behind his – otherwise rather quick – time.
Kevin Staut and Bulgaria d’ Engandou were incredibly lucky too: they took a rail, but as it wasn’t the one on top, their – albeit slow – effort remained faultless.
Daniel Deusser took an unfortunate rail, which ment only Max Kühner and Scott Brash were able to keep Guery from the win. In 37,87 seconds Kühner was insanely quick, but took an unlucky fence as well.
Scott Brash’s Hello Vincent galloped his heart out, but it wasn’t meant to be… the bay stallion knocked the very last fence down, meaning the victory stayed in Guery’s hands.
