Rolex Grand Slam Regulars Take Root in Spruce

The Spruce Meadows Masters has been deeply rooted in showjumping history. Riders gather from all over the world with their best horses for a chance to compete on the legendary grass turf in the International Arena.

The Live Contender

The main focus of the week will undoubtedly be on Andre Thieme and his incredible partner, DSP Chakaria. The pair became European Champions almost exactly three years ago and have since gone on to claim several Grand Prix titles. It wasn't until several months ago that they claimed their first Rolex Major Grand Prix title in front of the home crowd in Aachen. This means they will enter the Spruce Meadows Grand Prix as the live contender to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping.

The Only Winner & Grand Slam Master

The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping was first launched in 2014. Over these 11 years, only one rider has successfully managed to win three Rolex Majors consecutively and thus claim the Rolex Grand Slam. It was in Calgary nine years ago that Scott Brash achieved this and, to date, he remains the only athlete to accomplish this feat.
Fresh from helping Team GB win Olympic Team Gold, Brash will be on the radar of many to produce a strong performance in Sunday's Grand Prix. He will likely come forward on his Olympic mount, Hello Jefferson. Already, Hello Jefferson is the horse with the most starts in Rolex Major Grand Prix in the history of the league. In Aachen last June, the bay gelding jumped his 14th Rolex Grand Slam to overtake HH Azur, who had competed in 13 Rolex Major Grand Prix.
Thus far, Hello Jefferson's best finish in a Rolex Grand Slam Grand Prix was in 2022 at the CHIO in Aachen. The pair finished second behind surprise winners, Gerrit Nieberg & Ben 431, by less than a second margin.
Will their 15th attempt be the one that gets Hello Jefferson his Rolex Major Grand Prix victory?

The Consistent Contender

We cannot look past last year's Grand Prix winners here in Spruce Meadows. Martin Fuchs and his gorgeous grey gelding, Leone Jei, were breathtaking here last year when they produced the only double clear to claim the victory. Leone Jei's record in the Rolex Grand Slam Grand Prix is absolutely extraordinary. To date, Leone Jei has competed in 11 Rolex Majors. Only twice has he finished outside the Top 8. Besides their win here last year, they also won the 2022 Geneva Grand Prix and joined Gazelle, Pret a Tout, and HH Azur as two-time Major Grand Prix winners. So far, only Scott Brash's Hello Sanctos is a three-time Major winner and did so consecutively. In their last two outings, Leone and Martin have finished just beside the podium in fourth place, both at the Dutch Masters in 's-Hertogenbosch and at the CHIO Aachen. With such an incredible record and superb recent form, they are definitely a combination to be reckoned with this week.