The Swiss rider, Steve Guerdat, posted the unbeatable time. For the 100th edition of the Royal Dublin Horse Show, the prize money for this Grand Prix was raised to 1,000,000 Euros. Guerdat demonstrated boundless horsemanship in the jump-off.

In front of a home crowd, Jordan Coyle finished in second place. In the saddle of Chaccolino (Chacco-Blue x Heartbreaker), Coyle trailed by just under two seconds, ahead of Dutchman Arne Van Heel and Keaton HV (Kannan GFE x Contendro I).

Also clear, Lt. Michael Byrne finished in fourth place with MSH Claregalway (Cornet Obolensky x Acobat II), ahead of Frenchman Nicolas Sers. Only the top four kept a clean sheet. Sers completed the top five with Eleven de Riverland (Kannan GFE x Diamant De Semilly).

NINE COMBINATIONS. ONE ROLEX GRAND PRIX TITLE.

With nine combinations through to the jump-off, the stage was set for a thrilling conclusion in Dublin.

First to return, Arne van Heel and Keaton HV immediately applied the pressure. The Dutch rider set an ambitious pace from the opening fence and, despite touching several rails along the way, everything stayed in place. A double clear in 41.47 seconds established the first time to beat.

Then came Jordan Coyle.

Riding in front of his home crowd, the Irishman took every risk with Chaccolino, turning tight and attacking the final line at full speed. The grandstands rose as he crossed the finish line clear in 39.27 seconds, more than two seconds faster than van Heel. After an already successful week in Dublin, Coyle had delivered once again when it mattered most.

But Steve Guerdat had other plans.

With Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte, the Swiss champion produced a round of remarkable precision and fluidity. Every turn was measured, every stride calculated, and the pair stopped the clock in an impressive 37.81 seconds to take the lead.

Lt Michaeli Byrne and MSH Claregalway followed with another clear in 44.27 seconds, adding an excellent result to an already memorable afternoon for the Irish combination.

The remaining riders now had no choice but to take risks. Nicolas Sers attacked from the start but lowered the final fence, while his compatriot Olivier Robert also finished on four faults. Michael Pender suffered the same fate despite an ambitious attempt in front of his home crowd.

Richard Vogel entered the arena determined to challenge Guerdat’s leading time. The German pushed Cloudio from the opening strides, taking tight turns and leaving nothing on the table, but a fault ended his challenge for victory.

Last to go, Rodrigo Pessoa and Major Tom were the final combination capable of denying Guerdat the title. Two fences down ultimately led the Brazilian to retire, confirming the Swiss rider as the winner of the 2026 Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland.

 

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