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Portrait: Swiss Showjumping Legend Steve Guerdat

Steve Guerdat has been part of the Showjumping elite for many years and may very well still reach new heights. Photo credit: Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Steve Guerdat has been among the absolute best showjumpers in the world for many years. He significantly contributed to the modern golden era of Swiss showjumping, alongside Martin Fuchs, turning their homeland into an unexpected success story in the sport.

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Son of an Olympian

Born in 1982, Steve Guerdat was surrounded by horses and showjumping from the very beginning. His father, Philippe Guerdat, was himself an Olympic showjumper and experienced the most successful period of his career during Steve's early childhood. Between 1984 and 1990, Philippe competed twice in the Olympics, twice in the European Championships, and once in the World Cup Final. He most notably achieved success at the European Championships, winning team silver in 1985 and bronze in 1987. Philippe’s career peak coincided with the start of Steve's journey as a rider.

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Steve Guerdat began riding at the age of 9, and his evident talent led Philippe to retire from his own career to focus on supporting his son. Philippe later became a prominent coach, leading national teams for Switzerland, Ukraine, Spain, Belgium, and France. Over the past five years, he has coached the Brazilian national team, helping them qualify for the Olympic Games.

Rising Talent

Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Guerdat’s talent flourished. As a junior rider, he quickly found success, earning a team bronze medal at the 1997 European Championships for Juniors. The following year, he claimed the Swiss Junior Championship title. His career gained momentum, and he represented Switzerland at the European Championships every year from 1997 to 2002, competing at both junior and young rider levels. Transitioning to the senior level in 2003, Guerdat made an impressive debut at the European Championships, securing a team bronze medal and placing sixth individually at just 21 years old.

A Turning Point in The Netherlands

Steve Guerdat’s stellar start to his senior career was not only due to his talent and hard work; success in showjumping also requires exceptional horses. At the age of 20, Guerdat had the opportunity to work for Olympic gold medalist Jan Tops in The Netherlands. During his three and a half years there, he debuted at the European Championships, the Olympics, and the World Cup Final. He achieved a team bronze at the 2003 European Championships, placed fifth with the Swiss team at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and won a team silver at the 2005 European Championships. By August 2005, at just 23, Guerdat broke into the top 20 of the FEI rankings.

After his time in The Netherlands, Guerdat briefly moved to Belgium before returning to Switzerland. Back home, he gained support from Yves G. Piaget, of the Swiss jewelry and watchmaking company Piaget, who provided him with horses, including Jalisca Solier. Guerdat and Jalisca won their first Olympic medal together—a team bronze at the 2008 Olympics—and a team gold at the 2009 European Championships.

READ ALSO: The Haflinger: The Intelligent, Friendly, and Trustworthy Mountain Horse

Reaching the Pinnacle

steve guerdat and nino des buissonnets
Guerdat & Nino des Buissonnets. Photo Credit: Grandslamjumping, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From 2007 to 2017, Steve Guerdat was based with Urs Schwarzenbach, whose support helped propel him to the sport’s highest echelons. In 2011, Schwarzenbach purchased Nino des Buissonnets for Steve. The duo quickly impressed, finishing second at the 2012 World Cup Final in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Four months later, they dominated the Olympic Games in London, winning individual gold. Their outstanding performances earned Steve the top spot in the FEI rankings for the first time. Though Guerdat and Nino remained among the world’s best for the next four years, they never repeated their Olympic success. Nino was retired from competing in 2016 at the age of 15.

Following Nino’s retirement, Guerdat experienced several years without the major successes expected of him. However, he remained a consistent presence at the sport’s biggest competitions. Between 2017 and 2022, he achieved podium finishes at the World Championships, European Championships, and the FEI World Cup and Nations Cup. Despite this, he dropped to 26th in the FEI rankings by the end of 2022. A special horse rose up to change that trajectory.

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The Rise of Dynamix de Belheme

Steve Guerdat began competing with Dynamix de Belheme in 2019, but the mare truly broke through in 2023. After several strong performances throughout the year, they shone at the European Championships in Milan, where they won individual gold after a faultless final round, despite a sixth-place finish in the team competition. By the end of 2023, Steve had climbed back to fourth in the FEI rankings.

Their stellar form carried into the following year, highlighted by a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. In the final, they went clear with the fastest time but were narrowly beaten in a jump-off by Christian Kukuk.

Currently ranked second in the FEI rankings behind Henrik von Eckermann, Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme remain in top form. At just 11 years old, Dynamix has many competitive years ahead, offering immense potential for future victories in the sport’s biggest events. The partnership promises an exciting future as they continue their quest for excellence.

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