‘I didn’t believe this would be possible’: $3m grand prix won in dramatic fashion

The 2024 running of the world’s toughest grand prix, the $3m (£1.7m) CPKC International presented by Rolex, was won in dramatic fashion by the superb duo of Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei at Spruce Meadows, Canada, on Sunday (8 September).

“It’s a great feeling to be able to secure a second win here,” said Martin, 32, who continues to forge an incredible legacy, becoming only the third competitor after Rodrigo Pessoa (2000 and 2001 on Gandini Lianos) and Scott Brash (2015 and 2016 with Hello Sanctos and Ursula XII) to land back-to-back grands prix in Calgary.

“I honestly didn’t believe after my rail down in the jump-off that it would be possible. Luck was on my side today.”

The Swiss rider was drawn first for a thrilling three-horse showdown, which neatly featured a mare, a gelding and a stallion. Martin thought he’d thrown away his chances in this third and final round when toppling the seemingly straightforward brown oxer at fence four under the shadow of the trees.

“I was upset with myself for not giving Leone Jei the best chance in the jump-off because I over-rode the oxer – I pushed him into the pole because I was thinking already about the leave-out to the vertical after it, instead of allowing him to jump the oxer and use his big stride to get there on five strides. I was mad at myself and it was a huge disappointment because I had two of the best riders in the world coming after me,” he said.

Unexpected faults for class debutant Darragh Kenny

The baton was passed to Ireland’s Darragh Kenny with Heathman Farm’s VDL Cartello but they succumbed to the same fence. The 17-year-old stallion has all the scope but is not the quickest and a surprising two time-faults also appeared as he crossed the line.

Very rarely does the time allowed play a factor in a jump-off but it emerged that renowned course-builder Leopoldo Palacios had cunningly squeezed the maximum time and it proved to be an innovative stroke of genius as the class unfolded.

“This is a very important grand prix, so it needs to be the biggest and most complicated every year,” he said. “I needed to force the last rider not to go slow and have it too easy – that was my thought, and I don’t know if it’s correct, but I thought, ‘This is what’s best for the sport’.”

CPKC International debutant Darragh reflected, “I thought if I can be smart, go quick enough but not take too much risk, that it could work out. I really didn’t expect him to have the third fence down as he was jumping so well.

“I then tried to go as fast as I could, but I was just too slow!”

Another past winner stakes his claim

A hush then descended on the packed stadium for the brilliant combination of Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen VDM, who lifted the title in 2022.

“I knew I had to go clear, but there was no option to go slow because of the short time allowed, so I was under huge pressure,” said the German rider, who remained clear until he felt the 14-year-old mare anticipating the turn left into the famous double of Liverpools, “so I had one stride less than I should have done” and their first pole fell.

With just Martin’s 40.22sec time now to beat, Daniel accelerated home, gambling with a flyer to the final wall – the same fence that Leopoldo used to conclude his tracks at the 2008 Olympics – but it was a risk too far and the pair crashed through it. Agonisingly, the clock stopped in what would have been a winning time of 39.58sec.

“There is a big question mark – what could you have done differently in that moment – but I tried to go fast to the finish line and she just got a bit lost,” Daniel said. “But I’m very proud that my mare jumped three fantastic rounds.”

Martin Fuchs: “You need to be 100% focused, confident and have a lot of courage to jump these huge fences”

Martin Fuchs, whose Olympic dream unravelled in Paris last month when he lost a stirrup in the individual final, has been on a remarkable comeback trail since, with wins in the Rolex grand prix at Dublin and the Nations Cup of Brussels with Conner Jei. Reunited with the “incredible” 12-year-old son of Baltic VDL, Martin paid tribute to Leone Jei, who has been placed in 12 of the 13 majors he’s contested, including winning the Rolex grand prix at Royal Windsor this year.

“These tracks are so challenging, you really need to be 100% focused, confident and have a lot of courage to jump these huge fences,” he said. “That’s why I love coming here to Spruce Meadows. It’s the hardest place to win and I’m very grateful to have such a wonderful partner who wants to win them as much as I do.”

Tim Gredley and Medoc De Toxandria produced one of the greatest performances of their lives to finish best of the British contenders. They jumped a tremendous double clear, just succumbing to a time-fault in round one, to finish fifth behind another past winner, Steve Guerdat with Venard De Cerisy, who mirrored Tim’s rounds but in a slightly quicker time for fourth.

News that the competition’s $3m prize-money is set to rocket to a record-breaking $5mfor next year’s 50th anniversary celebrations at Spruce Meadows will send shivers of excitement round these elite riders who will already be planning their strategy to win what will be the sport’s richest ever prize.

But Martin’s first consideration will be his journey on the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, for which he is the new live contender as the circuit moves to his home show of Geneva in December.

Read the full report from the Spruce Meadows Masters tournament in Horse & Hound magazine, in shops Thursday, 12 September.

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