One thing for sure is that Grandeur feels at home in Geneva. This evening will see him make his sixth appearance in the indoor cross event, presented by La Tribune de Genève, having won it in some style in 2021, when he dipped under the ideal time by 0.7 seconds. That performance is just one of many that reveal the level of understanding rider and horse have built up over the last ten years or so. 

A lot has happened in that time. Together, Godel and Grandeur de Lully have achieved many milestones, from his first junior championships and up through the ranks to the elite, all the way to a near-perfect appearance at last year’s Paris Olympics, when they just missed out on a medal. 

“That’s probably my happiest memory with Kara,” says the 27-year-old Fribourg rider, using his nickname for his mount, whose birth name was Karamio. “The setting, the venue, the fact we were so close to a medal… It all made for an amazing experience.”  

Unless there’s a change of plan, those Games will have been the Swiss half-blood’s last. Soon to be 18, he is fast approaching a well-deserved retirement. “I’m preparing Global DHI for next year’s Worlds in Aachen but I know that if something goes wrong, I can count on Grandeur. He definitely has the experience you need.” 

A seasoned champion he may be, but Grandeur is also a fretful soul: “I’ll take him out for a ride and sometimes have to walk him back,” laughs Godel. “Fortunately, it doesn’t happen as often as it did to begin with, but he’s always been very unpredictable. You have to be on your guard all the time because he’s scared of his own shadow and can just swerve and turn like that, throwing you out of the saddle.”  

“He’s the cutest horse in the stables. Everyone comes to say hello to him at competitions,” explains Noa. Grandeur is so at ease, in fact, that it is hard to believe he could be such a scaredy-cat, especially with all the success he has had on theinternational stage.  

“I sometimes sense a little hesitation when we’re out in the arena,” his rider acknowledges. “But I think I’m better at anticipating things now and I think we trust each other. We know each other inside out, which really helps.” 

Godel and his 17-year-old bay have a special relationship and a tear or two will no doubt be shed when he bids farewell to the competition arena. The rider knows, however, how fortunate he has been to have partnered such a horse in the first big events of his young career. “I won’t have ten Grandeurs in my life, that’s for sure,” he smiles. 

Aurore Favre