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Eric Lamaze rides Hickstead to the win at the Rolex FEI Grand Prix of Geneva

December 14, 2025

The Grand Prix Rolex, the fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition, was won today by a rider who foremost wanted to show that indeed he is the best in the world. Fighting in a thrilling jump off against Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, amongst nine others, Olympic champion Eric Lamaze proved today in the huge Palexpo arena in Geneva that he and Hickstead can also win a big indoor Grand Prix against the best of the world.

The Rolex Grand Prix was this year’s sixth major Grand Prix victory for the illustrious pair that amazed the world at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, winning team silver and individual gold. The Geneva round of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition had great similarity to a showdown in a cowboy movie: the two heroes against each other, settling the score. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly, the winners of Stuttgart, were first to go. Their result in the jump off, 0 in 41.34 seconds, seemed impeccable. But this jump off course really suited Hickstead, Eric Lamaze’s small, hot tempered stallion who doesn’t like to make too many short turns and prefers to gallop around. Taking longer turns than his German adversary, Lamaze shifted his mount into highest gear and steeple chased from start to finish.

“The big arena in Geneva was to my advantage,” said the Olympic champion. “There was only one roll back. This was more like an outdoor type of jump off. Hickstead was relaxed and focused, I can ask him to do anything when he’s like this.”

Challenge

“I enjoyed the challenge,” said Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. “I would however have changed my plans if Eric would have been in front of me. He galloped the longer way to the double, I took the inside turn. And when I did, it felt as if it stopped us a bit. So if I could do it again I would also have chosen the longer way. Unfortunately my husband wasn’t here today to give me advise.”

A superb rider of a younger generation interfered in the duel of the Olympic champion against the European champion. Second last to go Steve Guerdat thrilled the home crowd, riding Jalisca Solier with supreme Swiss precision to 0 in 40.96 seconds, leaving ‘only’ third place for Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.

The open door

Still MMB was not complaining. “I’m celebrating the fact that Shutterfly has won over 1.5 million euros. If I manage him and Checkmate well, I can still enjoy these amazing horses for some time. And I have three very good 7 year olds coming up. Today I left the door open for great competitors.”

One of them was Steve Guerdat, enthusiastically cheered on by 8500 spectators. “There was not one moment in my jump off when I thought I could have been faster. Normally if you would beat either Eric with Hickstead of Meredith on Shutterfly, you would win. But today they were both there in the jump off. I think I can be happy being the runner up.”

Guerdat in the lead

There’s one more thing for Steve Guerdat to be happy about. After five legs, the Swiss is leading the Western European league. “Now that I’ve ensured a place in the final I can change my programme. I will skip Mechelen and Leipzig and return to the World Cup circuit in Zürich. Most important thing now is to go to Las Vegas with a fresh horse.”

Hickstead too will have some time off. Of jumping, that is. “We’re collecting semen now, that’s why he was a little bit hot,” said Eric Lamaze in the press conference. “This was his last show, he deserves a bit of rest. Today was a very important win, because I really want to go to Las Vegas. Hickstead competed in two legs, Toronto and Geneva, and won both. In Florida I’ll be riding younger horses. So these 20 points are great.”

Perfect course

Heiner Fischer and Rold Lüdi designed the perfect course for a beautiful Rolex FEI World Cup™ competition. A delicate long 4 stride from oxer 2 to vertical 3 really was a wake up call right in the beginning of the first round. The turn to the triple combination and a sharp turn to the FEI vertical demanded the optimum of accurate riding. In the last line, consisting of a big triple bar, a double combination at a short three stride distance and a rather normal six stride to the last vertical, horses had to prove their strength and fitness and riders had to show their concentration.

Swiss made

Eleven combinations made it to the jump off, no less than three riders were Swiss made. Werner Muff amazed his fans and all professionals doing an easy double clear aboard Quax II, only eight years of age. A week before in Munich, Muff rode this extremely careful son of Quincy Jones in the young horse classes. “No problem, this horse has sensors, he knows exactly where the poles are,” said Muff.

Niklaus Schurtenberger really gave it a shot, but asked a bit too much from Cantus in the long line to vertical number 3.

Obviously, Steve Guerdat was the great pride of the Swiss public. His second place with Jalisca Solier was the best Guerdat could do. “What can you do better, the next time?” a journalist asked referring to Steve’s victories in Geneva (first in the Champions Challenge, first in a World Ranking competition). “One can always improve,” said the darling of the Swiss public. “How about winning both the Table C on Friday and the Grand Prix on Sunday!”

Grand Prix Rolex - Rolex FEI World Cup
Barème A avec chronomètre avec un barrage au chronomètre
Hauteur: environ 1,60 m - Vitesse: 375 m/minute
FEI Art. 238.2.2
Dimanche 14 décembre 2008 Épreuve: 22


1 97 HICKSTEAD - kwpn Eric LAMAZE (CAN) 50000+Rolex 0 0 40.7
2 80 JALISCA SOLIER - sf Steve GUERDAT (SUI) 35000 0 0 40.96
3 16 SHUTTERFLY - hann Meredith MICHAELS-BEERBAUM (GER) 23000 0 0 41.34
4 48 PLOT BLUE - kwpn Marcus EHNING (GER) 16000 0 0 41.83
5 117 QUAX II - hess Werner MUFF (SUI) 12000 0 0 41.98
6 185 LUCIE - hann Lars NIEBERG (GER) 9000 0 0 42.62
7 112 QUINTERO LA SILLA - holst Rolf-Göran BENGTSSON (SWE) 7000 0 0 43.22
8 191 ISOVLAS ITOT DU CHATEAU - sf Edwina ALEXANDER (AUS) 6000 0 4 42.15
9 174 ROBIN HOOD W - kwpn Ben MAHER (GBR) 5000 0 4 42.63
10 69 CANTUS - wurtbg Niklaus SCHURTENBERGER (SUI) 4000 0 4 43.86
11 90 VIGO D’ARSOUILLES - bwp Philippe LEJEUNE (BEL) 3000 0 4 44.35
12 1 PEU A PEU - westf Daniel ETTER (SUI) 2000 4 62.38
13 41 ISAAC DU JONQUET - bwb Mikael FORSTEN (FIN) 2000 4 63
14 159 GODSEND DU REVERDY - sf Thomas VELIN (DEN) 1000 4 63.65
15 177 LE BEAU 29 - holst Stein ENDRESEN (NOR) 4 63.97
16 85 CALIFORNIA - holst Taizo SUGITANI (JPN) 4 64.35
17 194 LAMM DE FETAN - sf Timothée ANCIAUME (FRA) 4 64.38
18 35 GUARANA CHAMPEIX - sf Rutherford LATHAM MOREHEAD (ESP) 4 64.42
19 135 OPIUM VS - kwpn Marc HOUTZAGER (NED) 4 64.5
20 106 L.B. ROBIN HOOD - kwpn Christina LIEBHERR (SUI) 4 64.85
21 119 QUIBELL Jessica KURTEN (IRL) 4 65.07
22 76 JOYAU D’OPAL - sf Gianni GOVONI (ITA) 4 66
23 156 RANCORRADO - kwpn Cian O’CONNOR (IRL) 4 66.35
24 139 MISS INDEPENDENT - kwpn Laura KRAUT (USA) 8 62.23
25 165 SAM - kwpn Albert ZOER (NED) 8 62.56
26 58 MEAUTRY’S LOCARNO - holst Luciana DINIZ (POR) 8 62.69
27 13 NOBLESS M - holst Pius SCHWIZER (SUI) 8 62.94
28 74 LOOPS DE BATILLY - sf Julien EPAILLARD (FRA) 8 63.78
29 25 EUROCOMMERCE MILANO - kwpn Gerco SCHRÖDER (NED) 8 65.09
30 128 LACROIX 9 - holst Robert WHITAKER (GBR) 8 65.2
31 21 CASINO - ish John WHITAKER (GBR) 8 65.22
32 110 PROCASA JULIA DES BRUMES - sf Ricardo JURADO (ESP) 12 64.97
33 133 RADJA VAN’T ARKELHOF - bwp Niklaus RUTSCHI (SUI) 12 65.53
34 168 H & M ACTRICE W - westf Malin BARYARD-JOHNSSON (SWE) 12 65.63
35 146 VALENTINA VAN T HEIKE - bwp Jos LANSINK (BEL) 12 66.29
36 87 JALLA DE GAVERIE - sf Jane RICHARD (SUI) 16 63.1
37 53 QUINTERO 4 - hann Omar BONOMELLI (ITA) RET
37 10 KORO D’OR - sf Michel ROBERT (FRA) RET
37 142 CHEENOOK’S BOY CH - ch Manfred MÜLLER (SUI) RET
37 151 ILOSTRA DARK - sf Eugénie ANGOT (FRA) RET

—
Top Twenty Standings after 5 of 13 competitions

1 Steve GUERDAT SUI 0 0 17 17 17 51
2 Meredith MICHAELS-BEERBAUM GER - - - 20 15 35
3 Rutherford LATHAM ESP 20 0 - 13 0 33
4 Geir GULLIKSEN NOR 11 10 0 10 - 31
5 Daniel ETTER SUI 15 0 7 1 5 28
6 Ben MAHER GBR - - - - 8 15 3 26
7 Omar BONOMELLI ITA 3 7 15 0 0 25
8 Thomas VELIN DEN 17 2 - 0 3 22
9 Ludo PHILIPPAERTS BEL 9 - 12 0 - 21
10 Alois POLLMANN-SCHWECKHORST GER - - 20 0 - 20
Eric LAMAZE CAN - - - - 20 20
Gerco SCHRÖDER NED 0 20 0 - 0 20
Max KÜHNER GER 0 11 - 9 - 20
Nicolas DELMOTTE FRA 8 12 - - - 20
15 Edwina ALEXANDER AUS - - 10 0 9 19
Marcus EHNING GER - - 6 0 13 19
17 Lars NIEBERG GER - - - 7 11 18
Tim STOCKDALE GBR - - - - - 3 15 18
19 Leon THIJSSEN NED 0 17 0 - - 17
20 Alvaro DE MIRANDA BRA - - - 15 - 15
Helena LUNDBÄCK SWE 0 15 - - - 15
Michael WHITAKER GBR - - 5 - - 10 0 15
Rolf-Göran BENGTSSON SWE - - - 5 10 15
Sören PEDERSEN DEN 1 1 13 - - 15

Written by Malina Gueorguiev · Filed Under Europe and British Isles, Malina Gueorguie, World Cup 
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