Switzerland's Guerdat takes gold in gripping Individual final FEI European Championship
Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat held his nerve to claim individual gold with Dynamix de Belheme on the last day of the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 in Milan, Italy today.
In the lead and therefore last to go in the second and final round this afternoon, the 2012 individual Olympic champion had a fence in hand as he entered the ring with the 10-year-old mare. And despite the intense pressure they produced their fifth clear round of the week to clinch it in convincing style.
A fence down in both rounds today proved costly for Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit who dropped from second to fifth place in the final analysis.
So it was Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and the nine-year-old gelding Zineday who claimed silver medal spot ahead of the French partnership of Julien Epaillard and Dubai du Cedre in bronze.
Guerdat is only the third Swiss rider to win the individual European title, Willi Melliger (Quinta) topping the podium in 1993, and Martin Fuchs (Clooney) taking gold in Rotterdam in 2019.