After an exceptional season marked by his World Championship title and his victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland, Steve Guerdat arrives at the Brussels Stephex Masters ready to take on another prestigious Rolex Grand Prix.

After such an incredible period, how do you approach Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix presented by Audi? Which horse will you ride and what are your ambitions?

This year, I arrive at this Rolex Grand Prix at a slightly different moment. For me, the fatigue is still present after the emotions and pressure of the World Championships, so the motivation beforehand was maybe not at its highest level.

But once you are here, once the competition starts and you feel the atmosphere, the motivation comes back very quickly.

I will ride Lancelot in the Grand Prix. He is a horse I have been riding for about a year and he has already won at 5-star level. He also had a great performance here last year, winning a beautiful class, and he has shown that he can perform at this level.

I know we probably won’t enter the ring as favourites tomorrow, but I know what he is capable of. If he is at his best, we can achieve a great result. The Grand Prix will be very competitive, but I will give my best and we will see what happens.

You have already won several Rolex Grand Prix during your career. What makes these classes so special and what do they represent for you?

These events are very special because they bring together the best competitions in our sport. The Rolex Series represents the top of show jumping, with the most prestigious and respected events in the world.

We don’t compete in these shows only because they are part of the Rolex Series, they are part of it because they are already the very best competitions a professional rider can experience.

The level, the organisation, the atmosphere and the prestige make them unique.

The Rolex Grand Prix will feature a 1.60m course designed by Grégory Bodo. What are the key elements needed to succeed in such a Grand Prix?

With Grégory Bodo, I am not worried. He knows our sport very well and he knows how to build courses for this level of competition.

At this level, the courses are always extremely demanding. They need to challenge the best riders and horses while allowing the best combinations to shine.

A Rolex Grand Prix is always about precision, experience and consistency. There will certainly be many difficult moments, and I expect a very competitive class.