Silver for Kent Farrington and Toulayna in the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final

With the ^63rd edition of the CHI de Genève in Switzerland last weekend, people could once again get ready for one of the biggest and, above all, most prestigious indoor competitions of the year. Along with 's Hertogenbosch, Aachen and Calgary, the CHI de Genève is not only part of the famous Rolex Grand Slam, it also brings together the best 10 riders in international show jumping for a mutual competition during the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final.

The now ^23rd edition of the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final traditionally took place on Friday evening, and in it there was a starring role for US rider Kent Farrington with the 10-year-old mare Toulayna, a daughter of Toulon and Parco born to breeder Jasper Doucé as Toulayna van het Bloesemhof Z. Farrington and Toulayna, still winners of the Coupe de Genève at the 2023 edition, again showed their outstanding qualities and were one of six combinations during the first round that managed to complete the circuit designed by track builders Gérard Lachat and Gregory Bodo.

The results of the first round determined the starting order for the second and decisive round, in which Farrington and Toulayna re-entered the ring as the penultimate combination. The duo once again ensured a flawless round and with a finishing time of 48.05 seconds, they secured^2nd place.

In addition to the IJRC Top 10 Final, a 1.55m class took place on Friday for the CSI5* competition, in which several Z-horses also managed to jump into the limelight. A place on the podium was reserved for Canadian rider Tiffany Foster with the 10-year-old chestnut mare Electrique, a daughter of Emerald van 't Ruytershof and Voltaire, who was given the birth name Electrique van het Cauterhof Z by breeders Spiessens & Co BVBA. In a class against the clock, Foster and Electrique left all obstacles untouched and their finishing time of 67.18 seconds resulted in a creditable ^3rd place.

Just off the podium stranded French rider Simon Delestre with his 11-year-old black gelding Dexter Fontenis Z, the son of Diarado and Voltaire bred by S.C.R.I.S.Ky Horses. They too were not at fault, but took just a little longer than Foster and Electrique in 67.96 seconds. But the highlight of the weekend came for Delestre and Dexter Fontenis Z during the 1.55m class on Saturday evening. Once again it was a class against the clock and with a clear round in 60.43 seconds they secured^2nd place this time.

Also on Saturday, another 1.45m Speed & Handiness class was on the programme for the CSI5* competition, in which Swiss rider Niklaus Rutschi stood out with the 11-year-old chestnut gelding Amar des Brimbelles Z, a son of Amadeus and Russel bred in France by Haras des Brimbelles. They left all the bars neatly in the scoops, giving them ^5th place in the standings.

During the opening day on Thursday, the main class of the day was the 1.60m-high Trophée De Genève, in which Pieter Devos and his 9-year-old top mare Casual DV Z (Cornet Obolensky x Cicero Z) managed to jump into the limelight. Devos managed to keep his breeding product clear in both the basic round and the jump-off, claiming ^7th place in the rankings.

Finally, there were also two other Z-horses who managed to produce strong results on Thursday. Italian rider Giulia Martinengo Marquet for example jumped to ^3rd place in the 1.40m opening class with the 9-year-old gelding Captain Morgan Weering Z (Carrera VDL x Arezzo VDL - B: Stal de Weering/R. Lanting), while top Irish rider Cian O'Connors claimed ^6th place in the 1.45m class with the 10-year-old stallion Funky Fred Marienshof Z (Fantomas de Muze x Libero H - B: Stal Marienshof).