A Night of Fine Margins: The 2025 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final
The 2025 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final delivered exactly what its reputation promises: a masterclass in precision, nerve, and split-second decision-making. Held under the lights at Geneva’s Palexpo, the two-round showdown brought together the ten highest-ranked riders in the world and reminded everyone just how narrow the margins are at the very top of the sport.
With no room for mistakes and no easy lines, this was a class where strategy mattered just as much as scope.
Where the Class Was Won
While no single fence decided the outcome outright, several key moments across the course proved influential.
The track rewarded riders who committed early to forward riding while still respecting the technical combinations. The tight rollback lines following the initial oxers demanded bravery without recklessness, and the later verticals arriving off short turns exposed any hesitation immediately. Riders who tried to protect their round too much paid for it in time. Those who chased the clock without absolute accuracy risked faults that instantly removed them from contention. It was in this balancing act that the eventual podium separated itself from the rest of the field.
Brash and Hello Chadora Lady: A Class Act
Scott Brash and the 12 year old mare Hello Chadora Lady. Image: Fenwick Photography
When Scott Brash entered the arena aboard Hello Chadora Lady, he set the performance benchmark. Crucially, Brash committed fully to the forward options where others hesitated, particularly through the middle section of the course, where the forward rhythm allowed him to maintain speed. In the second round, with pressure mounting, Brash doubled down on that approach. Rather than chasing time late, he built it early, a decision that paid off as he crossed the line with the fastest double clear of the night.
As Brash later reflected, this is a class where outcomes can change dramatically with small variations. On another night, the result could look entirely different, a testament to both the quality of the field.
Kent Farrington and Toulayna came within a heartbeat of taking the title. Their second-round performance was aggressive and committed, particularly through the early combinations, where Farrington shaved time without compromising jump quality. However, the need to respect the final line where accuracy mattered more than raw speed meant the American pair just missed out on the winning time. Their runner-up finish underlined both Farrington’s consistency and the horse’s exceptional rideability at this level.
German rider Richard Vogel, partnered with Cloudio, produced one of the most composed rounds of the evening. Rather than forcing the pace, Vogel rode with calculated efficiency, making smart choices on the turns and allowing Cloudio to jump confidently into each fence. That approach earned them third place and further cemented Vogel’s status as one of the sport’s rising forces, capable of holding his own among Olympic champions and Grand Slam winners.
Looking Ahead to Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix
For spectators, the Top 10 Final offered a distilled glimpse of what makes Geneva so special: intensity, atmosphere, and elite sport at its very highest level. If the week so far is any indication, Geneva is far from finished delivering unforgettable moments as attention now turns to the Rolex Grand Prix.
