September 9, 2024 
Welcome to fall! A season where, with just a few clicks on your phone, you can bet on something as trivial as the outcome of a football coin toss, or what flavor the Gatorade coach dunk will be after a big game.
But if you are a bit of a gambler, and also a fan of show jumping, here’s a little wager that might be more substantive.
It’s been nearly a decade since Scott Brash of Great Britain became the first and only rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. In fact, as we’ve covered before, no one else (with the exception of back-to-back winner McLain Ward) has even come close.
But that was then, and this is now: The era of Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei.
Consider the fact that, according to Jumpr, with his second, consecutive win in the CPKC International at Spruce Meadows on Sunday, September 8, Fuchs and Leone Jei become one of only two combinations on the planet to win four *5 grands prix in the last 365 days.
The only other combination to do so? Olympic champions Christian Kukuk and Checker 47.
Yet the Rolex Majors—known for having the most challenging format and sizeable tracks in the sport—are a venue where Fuchs and 12-year-old KWPN gelding particularly excel. With his win in the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ this month, Fuchs joins yet another elite club: Riders who have one four Rolex Masters since 2013.
The only other rider to do so? The solo Rolex Grand Slam Winner in history, Scott Brash.
But don’t take our word for it. In a side-by-side comparison of Brash and Hello Sanctos, Fuchs and Leone Jei more than hold their own.
From 2014 through 2015, for example, the same period when they won the Rolex Grand Slam, Brash and the then-12-year-old SBS gelding jumped clear at 68% in 31 initial rounds at 1.60m. In 22 starts at that same height, they finished in the top 10 at 77%.
What’s more, Brash and Hello Sanctos earned five, *5 grands prix wins together between 2014-2015, amassing a total of $1,760,494 in prize money. Adjusted for inflation, that would be a little over $2,339,000 in 2024.
Compare that to Fuchs and Leone Jei, who currently boast five total grand prix wins since 2021 and more than $3,233,000 in prize money. In the last 365 days, they’ve jumped clear at 75% in 13 rounds at 1.60m, finishing in the top 5 at 80%.
When one looks at just their results for 2024, however, Fuchs and Leone Jei have jumped clear and finished in the top 5 in 100% of the 1.60m classes they’ve contested.
Yes, you read that right. One hundred percent in both clears and top 5 finishes.
So there you go! This fall, you can bet on whether the regular football season National Anthem will take 119 seconds or 122 seconds to complete, or you can throw your lot in with Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei to become the next winners of the Rolex Grand Slam.
Their next chance as the Rolex live contender will take place in CHI Geneva December 11-15, 2024. By the numbers, alone, that might be a bet worth taking.
