Rider lines up for Rolex CSI5* grand prix hat-trick after opening with a victory at Royal Windsor Horse Show

Royal Windsor Horse Show continued to be a happy hunting ground for Martin Fuchs as he launched the CSI5* programme with an easy victory.

The 32-year-old Swiss rider led the show’s opening international class, the two phase 1.45m Pearl Stakes, from an early draw on the talented nine-year-old mare Love De Vie, who was making her debut at this level.

“It’s a good show for me, I love it here,” Martin said. “Even in the warm up my horses already feel great, they enjoy jumping here. The fences are beautiful, and it feels like a different show than many of the other 5*s — I like the change.”

Martin comes to Windsor with a brilliant track record, having secured back-to-back triumphs in the schedule’s main draw, the €125,000 Rolex grand prix — winning with Connor Jei in 2023 and Leone Jei last year.

This year he will be riding the 12-year-old gelding Commissar Pezi, who is making his first appearance at this show.

“He has already won some five-star grands prix,” said Martin, who won the Prix Du Grand Palais in Paris with the son of Commissario in March and was second in the grand prix at the London International Horse Show in December, on his last outing on British soil.

“It is always the goal when you come to these shows to be at your best in those classes but I am not thinking too much about first place. I just try to ride my best and give my horse a good chance to have our best day.”

“Lovely” mare shines for new owner on five-star debut

His Pearl Stakes winner Love De Vie looks to be another gifted addition to Martin’s string, delivering an unflustered round from fourth-to-go that other competitive combinations couldn’t touch.

While some were using the class as a warm up for later in the week, the USA’s Laura Kraut gave it a shot on the 10-year-old gelding Tres Bien Z to finish 0.28sec slower for runner-up, with pathfinder Lorenzo De Luca (Noblesse VD Mespel Z) 0.30sec behind in third.

John Whitaker and the Old Lodge’s 16-year-old gelding Sharid were best of the Brits in fourth, 1.6sec ahead of 22-year-old Sienna Charles and Chawton in fifth.

“[Love De Vie] is a lovely horse who is very new to this level, but she has such a good mentality — you can see that even stood in the collecting ring with the ponies next to her or the carriages, she is so cool.

“She comes here in this impressive arena and she doesn’t care about anything,” said Martin, who has been riding the mare for a year and was secured the ride by new owner Karin Bühler, who bought her last month.

“People had started to be interested in her, but now I get to keep her and focus on the sport with her,” he said.

“I am happy to have been able to win with such a nice, smooth round because sometimes you have to go all in to be able to win here at Windsor!

“She has a big engine and a great canter and is very quick on the ground — it definitely suits us this big ring, where I can let her go a bit.”

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