March 16, 2025 
Jump-offs are a test of speed, but during the Rolex Grand Prix at Indoor Brabant on Sunday it was the slow and steady Simon Delestre in the irons of 13-year-old Cayman Jolly Jumper who finished on top.
In Delestre’s own words, Louis Konickx (NED) laid out a “delicate” course that required attention at every turn, stride, and especially combination, which thinned the field with ruthless efficiency. Seven pairs retired, while most others heard rails hit the sand behind them. It was one heartbreak after the next, especially when hopes were dashed for Rolex Grand Slam Live Contender, and hometown hero, Harrie Smolders (NED) after he collected a fault along the latter half of the course with Monaco.
Yet this became good news for Delestre, when he became one of only three combinations who scraped through to the jump-off in s-Hertogenbosch. With the odds in his favor, he only had to outrun (or rather, outplay) Yuri Mansur (BRA) and Scott Brash (GBR).
With an even three returning, there too revealed the podium finishers, the question being in what order they would take the victory lap. Yuri Mansur (BRA) took the first crack at the shortened course with 12-year-old mare Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm, but an early celebration from the crowd perhaps stirred the mare’s focus and the last fence came down. They clocked in on 43.08 seconds with four-faults.
After a disappointed Mansur came an eager Brash who, knowing Delestre would follow him, also chased the time. Yet it was too much risk. While he was fast enough in 41.57, he couldn’t escape through the timers without four faults.
Delestre put Cayman Jolly Jumper on cruise control, and took the scenic route. It was over 13 seconds more than Brash, but afterwards it was a blazing victory lap of celebration.
“I think the course was very, very delicate I would say, and long with a difficult combination at the end. You really needed a horse with the right energy and power, like Cayman, and I’m very proud of him. You had to be cautious everywhere and had moments of speed, waiting, the height, everything was in one course,” said Delestre.
Delestre took the day in perfect stride, but it proved to be a different type of pressure when victory was so close for each of them.
“It’s always a nice feeling when you know there is only going to be three in the jump-off, but then you also know how close you are to getting the win. It brings a different type of pressure, and of course you don’t want to hand it to someone, in the way I feel we did with Simon today who just had to jump a clear to win,” Brash explained. “But also, just having to jump a clear to win is a different kind of pressure.”
“I think there are two sides, you’re proud because you’ve already done so well, but at the same time you know you are really close to winning…but of course knowing these two were coming after me nothing was ever certain,” said Mansur.
And again, nothing is certain for the new Rolex Grand Slam Live Contender, as it seems to be increasingly difficult to secure three in a row with such distinguished start lists.
“Looking at the list of horses and riders, I think if you jumped the Grand Prix ten times you’d have ten different results. It’s anyone’s game,” said Brash.
