Newsletter N°3 : All roads lead to Canada
The end of August always brings a sense of yearning with it. Summer is over and it’s back to school and rainy days. Yet no sooner does September arrive than excitement levels rise again, with the prospect of an Indian summer and the third major of the Rolex Grand Slam taking up residence in the wide open spaces of Spruce Meadows. And all the while, the CHI Geneva draws ever closer.
At the time of writing, Nina Mallevaey is most probably en route to Calgary and still on cloud nine following her stunning Rolex Grand Prix win at the Brussels Stephex Masters last Sunday. The French rider will undoubtedly be among the favourites to succeed Martin Fuchs as the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex champion. You can read an interview with the up-and-coming Mallevaey in this newsletter, as well as episode three of our series on riding dynasties, which focuses on eventing world number one Harry Meade, the son of the late Richard Meade, himself a multiple champion in the sport.
We should also mention that tickets for the CHI Geneva go on sale on Thursday 2 October. The event programme – virtually unchanged from last year, apart from the addition of an event at the end of Friday morning – is now available on the official CHIG website.
Meanwhile, our very own Dagz, the CHI Geneva mascot, has been travelling around Switzerland all summer long, meeting and greeting people and making friends at various locations, including the Marché-Concours in Saignelégier, the European Dressage Championships at Jiva Hill Resort, and the Swiss Carriage Driving Championships in Céligny. Who knows, our furry friend may well be popping up somewhere near you in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.
Until then, happy reading!
Nina Mallevaey: France’s rising equestrian star
It was no surprise to see Nina Mallevaey lining up for France at the European Championships in A Coruña, Spain, in July, not after her exploits in previous weeks. Having impressed on Nikka VD Bisschop as part of the France team that placed second in the Nations Cup in Rome in May and then partnered Dynastie de Beaufour to third in the CS105* Grand Prix in the Italian capital, she took the runners-up spot in the CSI5* Grand Prix in Rotterdam a month later. And as if that were not enough, the French rider claimed fifth in her maiden Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen, again on board Dynastie de Beaufour.
Just a week on from her productive Spanish experience, the 25-year-old excelled in another CSI5* event, taking third place in the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de Dinard. A flag bearer of France’s new generation of riders, Mallevaey has jumped from 300th to 28th in the FEI world rankings in less than a year. And her climb up the standings is set to continue following her stunning victory on Dynastie de Beaufour in last Sunday’s prestigious CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix in Brussels, where she topped the podium from Grégory Wathelet and Harry Charles.
Ahead of her trip to the Belgian capital, we spoke to the modest young French rider, who is taking everything in her stride and is now hoping to star in Calgary.
A Change in the Saddle: Harry Meade picks up where father Richard left off (3/6)
Throughout the season, and just as it does every year, the CHIG newsletter is bringing you a series of articles on a specific theme. The focus for 2025 is jumping’s new generation of riders, the sons and daughters of, who are making it not because of who they are but because of what they can do. In this year’s third instalment, we put the spotlight on another riding dynasty: eventing champions the Meades.
A chip off the old block
Harry Meade quietly moved to the top of the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings in June, following a hugely impressive and consistent run of results. The British eventer is merely continuing a proud family tradition, as he follows in the footsteps of father Richard, a multiple Olympic medallist who made his mark on the discipline.
The Institut International de Lancy, a loyal supporter of the CHIG
The partnership between the Institut International de Lancy (IIL) and the CHI Geneva turned ten in 2024. And the story continues this year, as the Geneva-based private school steps up its support of an event it is very much attached to.
Tuesday 26 August, 3pm. It is the calm before the storm at the IIL. Sheltered from view, the school courtyard is bathed in quiet, peaceful sunshine. Twenty-four hours later and it is a very different story, as the IIL’s 1,500 students – aged 3 to 19 and hailing from 95 different countries – return from their summer holidays.
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