The highlight of the Count István Széchenyi Memorial Competition was the 1.45cm CSI 2* Big Tour Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. Just like last year, the Szuhai family triumphed again this year.
Course designer László Karádi prepared a technically demanding course for the 46 participants, who also competed for Longines Ranking points.
After the first round, 18 riders, including 11 Hungarians, qualified for the jump-off. Slovakian Dominika Gaalova, the first starter in the jump-off rode a remarkably fast and clear round, but the following riders were able to further increase the pace.
Just when the audience thought it was impossible to complete the course any faster, last year’s Grand Prix runner-up, the youngest Hungarian national champion, Rodrigó Szuhai, took the lead with the fastest clear round on Cornet and secured victory in the Grand Prix of the 36th Count István Széchenyi Memorial Competition. This also meant that the Szuhai family was able to celebrate another victory at the Grand Prix after 2025, as Gyula Szuhai Jr. had won on Lawisangos the previous year.
Second place went to German Guido Klatte, Jnr., a participant in the Omaha World Cup Final, on his gelding Guepard de Chalusse.
Friday’s Big Tour winner, Polish Grzegorz Nowak on Kaskada finished third.
Several of the Hungarian competitors also completed the jump-off clear, including Tamás Dömse on Conquistador, Éva Debreczeni on Cortez, Aliz Alasztics on Message Me Psz, Borbála Burucs on Miami de Garder, and Zsuzsa Csontos on Calista.
Robert Fekar on behalf of the jury, and Barnabás Hevesi, president of the Budapest Equestrian Club, as well honorary president of the Count István Széchenyi Memorial Competition and individual seventh-place finisher at the 1980 Munich Olympics congratulated the riders.
The total prize money for the Grand Prix was €30,000.
CSI 2* Big Tour Grand Prix (FEI LR-D) 1.45m results:
- 1. Rodrigo Szuhai – Cornet
- 2. Guido Jun. Klatte (GER) – Guepard de Chalusse
- 3. Grzegorz Nowak (POL) – Kaskada
- 4. Tamás Dömse – Conquistador
- 5. Éva Debreczeni – Cortez
- 6. Aliz Alasztics – Message Me Psz
- 7. Lena Binder (AUT) – Celina 211
- 8. Borbála Burucs – Miami de Garder
- 9. Zsuzsa Csontos – Calista
- 10. Dominika Gaalova (SVK) – Uragano de Napoli
- 11. Alexandra Kiabova (SVK) – Izzy Pop
- 12. Gábor Szabó Jr. – Genius Conference
- 13. Vince Jármy – Jb Koronaőr
- 14. Péter Szuhai – Casallina Psz
- 15. Máté Lehotai – Tob-Ker Prince of the Darkness
- 16. Szabolcs Krucsó – Uripoint
- 17. Theresa Pachler (AUT) – Smart Chick Napoleon
- 18. Savannah Birk (AUT) – Nantan 3
Photo: CSIO Budapest / Kovács Petronella