Geneva, Switzerland – December 15, 2019 – CHI Geneva is unique in having two international Course Designers, Switzerland’s Gérard Lachat and Louis Konickx from the Netherlands. We spoke to Louis Konickx ahead of Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix:

What can people expect to see from the Rolex Grand Prix course on Sunday?

We have the best riders in the world here, so myself and Gérard Lachat have been making the plans for the course. We know that the course needs to have everything in it, it must be very precise. We must consider the configuration and the distances between fences, the combinations are always a great challenge, so we need to ensure that they are put in exactly the right place, to ensure a test for the riders. It is always important to take timing into consideration, yesterday, we had 12 of the 13 riders in the jump-off who finished within one second of each other, so if you allow one second more on the clock, the course is already easier for the riders. So, if you ask me what is in the Rolex Grand Prix – everything! It is a very special arena because its bigger, so it gives something extra to the course because the riders can gallop.

What kind of horse would this course suit?

That’s a very interesting question, every horse is careful here, all the horses are very finely tuned, but there is a big difference between horses with a bigger stride and horses with a smaller stride. Generally, both types canter faster in this arena. You always have to be quick, and the riders will assess the timing given and find the right solution for each horse, so that they can do the best that they can. The smallest horses are often faster, whilst some horses jump too high, losing valuable time.

How do you and Gérard put the plans in place for the courses?

I love Gérard’s style, he creates very fluid courses, making sure to use all the space we have here. As always with course designing, if you stick to your own designs, you might miss something, but here I come and look at another’s design, and I would add some suggestions, changing something that he might not see. It is a good partnership, working together allows us to see each other’s designs with fresh eyes and point out things that might need changing.

Which riders do you think could win on Sunday?

If the prize is as big as it is here, then all the riders competing will be very good. It is the same at every championship, competitors need to stay very calm, as soon as they are too eager, mistakes happen. The ones that stay cool always have a better chance than those who are over-excited. All riders want to win but they must control their state of mind.

How many clears do you want to see?

It’s very hard to say, we are always afraid of getting the timing wrong. If we allow too much time, it is easy for everyone, but if we don’t allow enough, the riders will hurry round, and not jump the horses well. Our aim is to allow the horses to jump at their best, so we, as the audience, experience great rounds from the riders. If we have a time fault or one down, it’s a pity, but the riders like to compete when they feel the horse is at their best. If they have to go too quickly, it’s a lot of stress which is not good to watch. For me, it’s great to have around six to eight clears.

What’s your favourite part of being at CHI Geneva?

We shouldn’t forget that this is an extremely special show, the venue is beautiful, the way it is organized and decorated is wonderful. There are so many volunteers, who operate on a highly professional level. They know how to work efficiently, whilst having fun at the same time. This is what makes the show great and gives it the atmosphere. You cannot have people working who are not interested in the show. So, for me this is the best show in the world, it is a huge arena, with fantastic decoration and atmosphere – there is nothing quite like it. We also have the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, which no other show has.

Source: Press release from Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping

Photo: © Rolex / Ashley Neuhof