Everything starts with her. Every rider, owner, journalist, guest, member of the organisation, volunteer, sponsor, partner and service provider begins their Palexpo journey in her office, the source of the famous pass that proves their credentials and gives them the access they need at the CHIG.

Nicole and her 15-strong team of faithful, committed volunteers dish out the best part of 3,200 of these passes for the event. While most of them are prepared in advance, some are made up on site, application by application, day by day. “The busiest time for us is the Monday and Tuesday before the competition, when the printers and software are delivered,” explains Nicole, who has been in the job for 20 years now. “As soon as we receive the applications, with the applicants’ photos, we can get them ready, which means printing, laminating and putting a hole in them and then attaching a lanyard. Failing that, we can take the person’s photo on site and just print off the document. It just takes a few minutes, but you still need to be responsive and available.”

Over the years, Nicole, who used to work at the Chamber of Commerce, has built up good relationships with the competition’s regulars. “It’s definitely a plus point, especially when we welcome back all the former champions we accredit, which is a pleasure,” she says. “I know the riders well, the younger ones a little less well, unlike some of the volunteers, who don’t always recognise the big-name riders. Rodrigo Pessoa will come into the office, for example, give me a hug and have a chat with me as we prepare his pass, but the younger volunteers won’t know who he is. It’s a generational thing. Things are different when Steve Guerdat comes up in conversation, though.”

There is a lot more to Nicole’s job than just processing pre-event applications. When they come in during the event, she has to assess whether to issue a pass or not, all while fielding questions from new arrivals. “It’s a bit like the nerve centre of the competition,” she explains. “You’re telling guests and other accredited people about the schedule, where they’re expected to be and all of that. And you also have to know how to say no. We can’t accommodate everyone. Riders can invite two owners per horse, for example. And for obvious safety reasons, we don’t give everyone access to the stables.”

In going about her work, she needs to be firm yet also diplomatic and flexible. And in handling a wide variety of requests and numerous applications for accreditations – not all of which grant access to the same areas – Nicole has effective software, a dedicated team and meticulous organisation to back her up. “My strengths are that I know the organisational side of things inside out and can speak four languages [English, French, Spanish and German],” she reveals.

An ability to deal with pressure also helps: “One day, we had a rider come up to the accreditation office on horseback because some owners who weren’t on the list of applicants had just turned up. I couldn’t let them in, though, because they hadn’t put that prior application in.”

Nicole, who gives herself a quick break to catch the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final and the Rolex Grand Prix, would not give up her job for anything in the world: “It’s very stressful, but it’s a bit like taking on a big jump and can be a lot of fun. A big reason for that is that the CHI Geneva is run by a small group of incredible people who work closely together to lay on a fantastic event and leave everyone starry-eyed.”

So, if you have a precious pass to pick up at Palexpo, the indefatigable Nicole von Potobsky will be waiting for you all event long, from 7 in the morning to 11 at night.

Sophie Lebeuf