A Swiss rider who’s been steadily working his way to the top stole the show over some big names in the Grand Prix Hermès at the Saut Hermès at the Grand Palais on April 12. It was an extremely tricky 1.60-meter course that the German course designer Frank Rothenberger designed under the glass roof of the Grand Palais.

And when it was all over, Swiss rider Romain Duguet emerged victorious on Quorida de Treho. “It is really fantastic to win here today, and even more so as a Hermès partner rider,” Duguet said. “This is my first win in a five-star grand prix, and doing it here makes it even better. However, I didn’t feel any more pressure than at another event. My mare really jumped amazingly; when she is on form, she is truly exceptional.”

Duguet celebrates his biggest win yet in the Grand Prix Hermès on Quorida de Treho. Photo by Frédéric Chéhu

Duguet, 35, began his riding career under the French flag, as he represented France on pony and junior teams with much success. At the age of 18, he went to work for Franch rider Jean-Michel Gaspard. “That was the beginning of a four-year period where I was allowed to ride mainly young horses,” said Duguet in his biography on his website. “My enthusiasm as a young rider was quickly confronted with reality and showed me the gaps in my experience as a rider. I learned, step by step, the base of this wonderful profession. Hard work and patience are part of a long road of our daily lives before we can break into international show jumping.”

In 2003, Duguet went to work for Swiss rider Max Hauri and began having success at the CSI level. He worked his way up the ranks and by 2011 he jumped on his first Nations Cup team for France. By the fall of 2012, he has switched citizenship from French to Swiss and begins to jump for Switzerland on Nations Cup teams. He and his wife, Christiana, run a stable, Écurie Duguet, near Bern, Switzerland.

The 39 riders who started had their work cut out, particularly with the last triple vertical combination, which stopped several riders from reaching the jump-off. Only eight competitors managed to qualify, with no U.S. riders jumping again. Laura Kraut was the top U.S. finished in 22nd with a rail in Round 1 on Cedric. Reed Kessler and Cylana had two raisl down in the first round to finish in 26th. 

Edwina Tops-Alexander on Lintea Tequila, who won the grand prix in Doha a month ago, jumped clean first in the first round, with Christian Alhmann of Germany on Epleaser van T Heike and then the reigning Olympic champion Steve Guerdat of Switzerland and Corbinian following suit. Five other riders joined them afterwards: Philippe Rozier (FRA)/Rahotep de Toscane to a standing ovation from the public; Amy Graham (AUS)/Bella Baloubet—who had already won Le Saut Hermès class the day before; the winners of the 2014 Grand Prix Hermès, Marcus Ehning (GER)/Cornado NRW; and then Duguet (SWI)/Quorida de Treho, Grégory Wathelet (BEL)/Oh d’Eole and the Qatari rider Bassem Hassan Mohammed/Victoria.

With the difficult task of opening the jump-off, Tops-Alexander had to decide between taking risks and speed. However, a rail at the penultimate oxer sent her into seventh place. The same thing happened to Ahlmann, who finished eighth. However, Corbinian responded to all the demands of Guerdat, and a double clear round saw him take charge of the class.

“I was a bit worried about taking too many risks because Corbinian is only 9 years old,” Guerdat said. “He has a lot of quality, but without the right pattern of strides he does not have enough experience to win. I preferred to hedge my bets and I am really pleased with him.”

Then Graham and her gray mare brought the crowd of the Grand Palais to their feet.

The Australian took hundredths of a second off the Swiss champion’s time. The performance should have sealed the win. But that was before Duguet took the Grand Palais by storm.

Going tight into the turns and accelerating in the last straight, the partner rider of Hermès took a second off the time to claim the final victory in the Grand Prix Hermès. After that, French rider Rozier, urged on by the crowd, needed to go as fast as possible, but finished sixth after a rail. Ehning and Whatelet, with a rail each, took the fifth and fourth places respectively.

With her second place in the grand prix and her win in the Le Saut Hermès class, Graham was a crowd favorite aboard her gray mare Bella Baloubet. “For me, this really is an amazing competition and I would like to thank Hermès for inviting me,” she said. “I had an exceptional weekend and Bella Baloubet was in great form. It was a real pleasure competing in this wonderful setting.”

Amy Graham of Australia on Bella Baloubet—second in the Grand Prix Hermès. Photo by Frédéric Chéhu

See full results of the class.