Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping: Martin Fuchs remains focused on Grand Slam quest

After an extended break, the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping continues this weekend on Sky Sports, and world No 3 Martin Fuchs is looking forward to picking up where he left off on his Grand Slam journey.

Having won the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI de Geneva in December 2019, Fuchs became the 'Live Contender' in the quest to complete the Rolex Grand Slam; winning three major Grand Prix in a row, and with it a €1 million bonus.

The feat has only been achieved once before, by the British rider Scott Brash in 2015 and that was before the Dutch Masters was added as the fourth major in 2018, with a €2 million bonus available should you win all four in a row.

For Fuchs, he had plenty of reasons to feel confident heading into the 2020 edition of the Dutch Masters, however the event was then cancelled just days before it was due to start, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of Europe.

The subsequent Rolex Grand Prix majors in Germany and Canada followed suit, as well as the 2020 edition of the CHI de Geneva being halted.

Things looked more positive for the March 2021 edition of the Dutch Masters, scheduled to be held behind closed doors before that hit a further roadblock; an outbreak of an invasive strain of the equine herpes virus - EHV-1- and that caused the FEI to cancel international events across Europe until the end of March.

Finally, after a 16-month delay, Fuchs can get back to pursuing the Rolex Grand Slam.

"I was on a real roll in 2019, when I could win the Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva, so I really was looking forward to the Dutch Masters," he said.

"Now, after almost a year-and-a-half it's a different feeling; it's going to be a different feeling, a different ambience."

There will be no cheering spectators at the Dutch Masters and strict COVID-19 protocols will be in place, including temperature checks, testing, and mandatory wearable social distancing devices for everyone at the venue.

From a competition perspective, there's a sense of the unknown too; with only three five-star events having taken place in Europe since last February, the form of the horses and riders is something of a mystery.

"It's going to be interesting," Fuchs commented. "I think the first two days we will see some strange moments maybe or some surprises.

"By the third day, I think the top horses and the top riders will be ready again. They will be back in shape and I'm sure we will see a top-class competition and a great Rolex Grand Prix."

Fuchs himself spent the winter in Wellington, Florida, where he was able to compete in some five-star classes and, crucially, check the form of his Grand Prix horse, Clooney 51.

The 15-year-old grey has been with Fuchs since 2014. As a combination, they have steadily climbed the world rankings and picked up numerous Grand Prix wins, including the 2019 victory in Geneva, and his form is vital to Fuchs Grand Slam aspirations.

"Clooney feels great," he reflected. "He placed second in one of the five-star Grand Prix in Florida.

"It was a strange situation to bring him back to a five-star after over a year out, so the feeling when he performed as well as he always does, was just amazing.

"It was really good preparation for the Dutch Masters. He's in shape, I'm in shape, and I definitely go into the show with a lot of confidence."

With seven of the world's top ten, and a field of over 40 riders competing in the Netherlands, the competition is set to be fierce. And, it is the two riders above him in the world rankings that Fuchs will be keeping an eye on.

"Daniel Deusser's looking really strong and I'm sure my Swiss companion Steve Guerdat has his eye on the title for this year.

"We will have the best horse and rider combinations in the world competing. At a show like this, there are really 20, 30 or 40 riders that are able to win the Rolex Grand Prix.

"At the end of the day, it's going to be Clooney and I in the ring. We're going to be really focused on leaving all the jumps up and try to be the fastest at the end."

When put like that the thought of jumping fences set at 1.60m and higher sounds very simple, but the significance of a win on Sunday in terms of achievement is not lost on Fuchs.

"Any five-star Grand Prix is special to win but if you win one of the four majors that's even more special, that's really the childhood dream.

"If I could do it back-to-back after winning Geneva, and now the Dutch Masters, that would be just insane."

Watch coverage of the Rolex Grand Prix at the Dutch Masters, live on Sky Sports Mix from 12.55pm Sunday.