Jumping legends relive CHI Geneva glory years
If there is one thing you can be sure of seeing at the CHI Geneva, it is the world’s leading riders, with the roll of honour at this prestigious competition featuring some of the biggest names in jumping. In this the third newsletter devoted to the event’s centenary and, in particular, Geneva’s appearance on the World Cup circuit in 1979, two of the discipline’s all-time greats take a walk down memory lane: British rider John Whitaker and Brazilian counterpart Rodrigo Pessoa.
Whitaker is a living legend, a flagbearer for the cream of British equestrianism since breaking into the elite in the 1980s. A team and individual runner-up at the 1983 European Championships, he won Olympic team silver on Ryan’s Son in Los Angeles the following year, before becoming a double European champion in 1989 on board his faithful grey, Milton.
The Briton’s longevity at the highest level is nothing short of remarkable. Little wonder, then, that he should be regarded as a prominent figure in the history of the CHI Geneva, having won the World Cup Grand Prix at the last edition to be held at Les Vernets, in 1989, on board the unforgettable Milton. The duo also won back-to-back World Cup Finals, in Dortmund and Gothenburg in 1990 and 1991, and together the rider and his legendary snow-white mount captivated crowds wherever they went.
That 1989 CHIG victory came after Milton’s great rival, the spirited dark bay Jappeloup – partnered by the Frenchman Pierre Durand – had, to the crowd’s disappointment, failed to make the jump-off. That left the phlegmatic Whitaker to claim victory against Germany’s Hendrik Snoek on Anatol and Spain’s Juan Diego Garcia Trevijano on Tirol. “Milton was just an outstanding horse,” commented the British rider, who admitted to only having “vague” recollections of that win. “He loved competing and was naturally very gifted. He wasn’t at all nervous and was very sure of himself. He really trusted me and was always waiting for me to tell him what to do. He made my life easier and all I had to do was ride him well.”
“It’s always nice to win, especially in Geneva, because it’s such a brilliant crowd there and the organisers really do everything they can to put on a great show, with top-class jumping in the best possible conditions.” And though the city by the lake has not been part of the circuit since 2013 – having joined the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping instead – Whitaker still regards the CHIG as one of his favourite events: “It’s one of the best, in fact. Everything’s perfect there: the arena, the atmosphere, the organisation.” As he went on to say, Whitaker has a host of happy CHIG memories outside that World Cup win. They include the Six Barres and “a competition in which you had to ride bareback, and, oh yes, I remember another occasion when I rode a mule Cossack-style. I have to say, I really do look back fondly on my visits to Geneva.”
As for Pessoa, he is a true stalwart of jumping and, without any exaggeration, an integral part of the history of the CHIG. Though he has only ever competed at Palexpo, the indefatigable Brazilian has made it his second home, having already got a feel for the event from his father, Nelson. Speaking of one of his favourite stamping grounds, he said, “Geneva is still a very special place for me, as my father made his home there when he arrived from Brazil in 1961 and always rode at Les Vernets. I started competing in Geneva the first year that Palexpo hosted the CHIG and I’ve been back many times. I’ve had plenty of good fortune at the event too, so it’s always a real pleasure to go back there.”
Many would put his success in Geneva down to talent rather than luck. When it comes to the “CHIG Book of Records”, Pessoa was out on his own for many years as its most successful rider, until being overhauled recently by Steve Guerdat (16 wins) and Kent Farrington (11). In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Brazilian was in a class of his own, claiming four World Cup Grand Prix titles (in 1993, 2000, 2002 and 2004), four other Grands Prix (between 1998 and 2001) and two Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final wins, in 2003 and 2005.
Pessoa’s Geneva love story began in style in 1993, when he won his first World Cup Grand Prix, aboard Loro Piana Special Envoy. Aged just 21, he showed that he was already one to watch. “I remember that victory very well. Stefan Lauber and Lugana II, who were a top-class team at the time, took second. It was one of my biggest wins – a World Cup event with a Volvo as the prize. I was top of the leaderboard the year before but made a mistake at the final fence in the jump-off, with Philippe Le Jeune going on to win (on Roby Foulards Shogun).”
Three years later, however, the Brazilian suffered a major setback at Palexpo, picking up ten faults in the last round of the World Cup Final on board Tomboy to relinquish an eight-point lead over the field and slip to fourth. “I rode Special Envoy and Tomboy in that final in Geneva,” said Pessoa. “With the lead I had, it was a massive disappointment, of course, but that’s just part and parcel of sport. It hit me hard, but it was a big lesson for me. It made me stronger, and I eventually went on to win the World Cup Final three times in a row a few years later.”
The Brazilian took the honours in the Geneva Grand Prix four years later and then won it again with the remarkable Baloubet du Rouet in 2002 and 2004 (the pair having claimed three straight World Cup Final wins by that time, between 1998 and 2000). These Palexpo triumphs remain fresh in his memory: “Yes, because you only win so many 5* Grand Prix events in your life. I remember almost all of them, though these two stand out because Geneva is a special event. I also became a Rolex Testimonee in 1999. I was the only one at the time and it was very important to me to do well in Geneva in front of my sponsors. I always took the week off before the competition so my horses would be fresh and would arrive in the best possible shape.”
Nevertheless, there is more to Pessoa’s CHI Geneva story than just World Cup Grand Prix success, not least four consecutive wins in the Trophée de la Ville de Genève – two with Lianos in 1998 and 2000 and two with Baloubet in 1999 and 2001 – and those two Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final victories, again with Baloubet. “If you’re appearing at the Top 10, it means you’ve had a really good season. It’s a major achievement, a very prestigious event, and it’s always a pleasure to be able to take part. I’m a bit further down the rankings this year, but it would be a dream come true for me to be able to compete in it again one day.”
As you might have gathered from what Rodrigo Pessoa and John Whitaker have to say, the CHI Geneva is an event that top-level riders dare not miss. The pair of legends have let the organisers know that they would very much like to be at Palexpo for this centenary edition, which promises to be quite an occasion. And we hope for our sakes, for theirs, and for the sport itself, to see them there.
Sophie Lebeuf
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