Scott Brash came into the Rolex Top Ten Final as the one to beat, the world No. 1 in the rankings.
And over Dec. 10-14 at the Geneva CHI, Brash showed just why he’s held the No. 1 spot of the world rankings for most of 2014, riding Hello Sanctos not only to the top of the Rolex Top Ten Final—a two-round showdown between the top 10 riders on the FEI World Ranking list—but also to a win in the Rolex Grand Prix, a Grand Slam event.
Brash’s remarkable weekend started when he was one of four clean trips in Round 1 of the Top Ten Final. Superstars Daniel Deusser of Germany (reigning FEI World Cup champion), Steve Guerdat of Switzerland (reigning individual Olympic gold medalist) and Penelope Leprovost of France also jumped clean in Round 1.
But it was only Brash who could put a repeat 0 on the board in Round 2. French rider Patrice Delaveau finished in second overall with just 1 time fault in Round 1 and a clean score in Round 2.
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Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos. Photo courtesy of CHI of Geneva
Guerdat and Deusser dropped to third and fourth with rails aboard Albfuehren’s Paille and Cornet d’Amour, while Leprevost ended up 10th with 12 faults in Round 2 aboard Flora de Marisposa. U.S. rider Kent Farrington placed ninth with a rail in each round with Voyeur.
Amazingly, Brash and Hello Sanctos turned in just as dominating a performance in the Rolex Grand Prix, besting 11 other horses in a racing jump-off. Farrington was eighth in the class on Voyeur with a quick time but a rail.
