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Three Rolex Grand Slam contenders at The Dutch Masters

All three Rolex Grand Slam contenders will be at the start in the Brabanthallen from 11 to 13 March: Daniel Deusser, Steve Guerdat and Martin Fuchs. For all three of them the stakes are high.

Martin Fuchs: no extra pressure
After two years, Swiss rider Martin Fuchs returns to the Brabanthallen to continue his cycle in the Rolex Grand Slam. In December 2021 he managed to win the Rolex Grand Prix for the second time. In 2019 he won with Clooney 51, who was recently retired, and last year with Leone Jei. The 29-year-old is still in the race for the Rolex Grand Slam title. He feels no extra pressure now that he is the title contender. "No, not really. Besides the championships, the four majors are the highlights of the year for any rider. You always want to do your best and deliver the best results."
Fuchs wants to bring Chaplin to the Brabanthallen. "He is a very fast, agile and careful horse and in the past he has proven on several occasions that halls like the Brabanthallen suit him well. He is a real fighter with a big heart." Fuchs is looking forward to The Dutch Masters. "Like each of the four majors, The Dutch Masters has its own special atmosphere and offers really fantastic conditions for us riders. For me it is one of the best and most beautiful indoor tournaments in the world and I am really looking forward to participating there again."

Steve Guerdat: last chance for bonus
The Dutch Masters is the last chance for the 39-year-old Swiss top rider and Rolex Testimonee to win the 250,000 euro bonus. He won the CP 'International' presented by Rolex at the CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' in early September 2021 with his 13-year-old gelding Venard de Cerisy. "Just to win a major is insane. After all, the four majors are the best tournaments in the world," said the Swiss, who has already won this prestigious Grand Prix four times in his career. His eyes are now set on winning another major and the bonus that comes with it. For The Dutch Masters, Guerdat will saddle his Venard de Cerisy. "Venard is a very strong, brave and powerful horse. He has a lot of blood and energy in his jump. He doesn't have the best techniques, but because of his strength and will to always do well, we have had the chance to understand each other over the years. He is a very sensitive horse - he is very difficult to get on and off and he is a bit shy with everything. But as soon as he sees a fence, he just wants to jump it."

Daniel Deusser: planning and preparation entirely focused on The Dutch Masters

The 40-year-old German Daniel Deusser is also keen on winning the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters because he is equally eligible for the 250,000 euro bonus. "After winning the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen, my biggest goal at the moment is to win the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters in March. My whole planning and preparation is now focused on 's-Hertogenbosch," says Deusser.
In Aachen he won with the Killer Queen VDM and he plans to start Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z in the Brabanthallen. "At the moment I am planning to take Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z with me. I did not take him to Florida (for the Winter Equestrian Festival), so he is still fresh for the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters. He is very fit for the indoor season and finished in top form last year." Deusser loves coming to 's-Hertogenbosch: "The Dutch Masters is a fantastic tournament in many ways. I always enjoy going there and the prospect of the possible Rolex Grand Slam bonus makes it all the more exciting for me to come back to 's-Hertogenbosch."

Photos: Rolex Grand Slam/Ashley Neuhof - Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk (Steve Guerdat)