2012 Olympic champion, three-time winner of the World Cup Final and winner of the most prestigious competitions around the world, Switzerland's Steve Guerdat will be the Ambassador for the Dinard International Show Jumping (July 24-27), part of the Rolex Series. It's a natural choice for the world No. 6, who is particularly fond of this event.

He is one of the most admired and respected riders on the international circuit, a man whose word counts and is heard. At 43, Switzerland's Steve Guerdat has been one of the leading figures in equestrian sports for nearly two decades. This summer, he will of course be present at the Dinard Jumping, an event that is particularly close to his heart and for which he accepted the role of ambassador without hesitation. “I knew about the Dinard Jumping thanks to my father (Philippe, a former great rider and then coach of the French team, Olympic champion in Rio in 2016),” says Steve.

"It made a big impression on me at the time. Unfortunately, the competition disappeared for a few years. Then it was relaunched by Danièle Mars, and I immediately fell in love with it. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined. It's a competition that brings everything together. First, there's the large, very natural grass track with elevation changes. It brings you back to the authenticity of our sport, with challenges to overcome and balance to find. It's not just the width or height of the obstacles that you have to take into account. It's the only time of year when we have a track like this. Then there's the history of the competition, the venue, which is a real arena, and the amazing crowd of horse lovers and connoisseurs. The whole town is decked out in the colors of show jumping. It's unique. I'm truly grateful to Danièle (Mars) and everyone who works with her for reviving the Dinard Show Jumping, which is so important to our sport."

Steve remembers his first visit in 2017 particularly well. Riding Cayetana, he came seventh in the Rolex Grand Prix, which was won by Nicolas Delmotte on Ilex VP.

“I asked the organizers if I could skip the prize-giving ceremony because it would mean missing my flight home and having to stay in Paris overnight,” he explains. They refused, and at the time, I was upset. But when I entered the arena, I thought to myself, ‘I'm glad they made me stay.’ It was incredible. Nicolas had won, and the entire audience sang La Marseillaise. It was a moment that really left a lasting impression on me. It's important for our sport to be able to offer moments like that."

Beyond the sporting aspect of the competition, the Olympic champion, who dreams of adding his name to the list of winners of the Rolex Grand Prix and the Derby, where he has often finished second, is also looking forward to returning to Brittany and enjoying the unique environment.

"Once the events are over, it feels a bit like being on vacation. There are competitions where, once the day at the stadium is over, you're not necessarily in a hurry to go home because there's nothing to do in the evening. That's obviously not the case in Dinard with the ocean and the atmosphere of the town. After a while, you even know the best restaurants and you always eat well. You can also rent an apartment and bring your family. I'm really looking forward to it. "

HIGHLIGHTS:

Saturday 26th July

• Derby Saur de la Région Bretagne (CSI3*) at 1.45m
• CSI YH Grand Prix at 1.40m

Sunday 27th July

• Grand Prix du CSI3* at 1.50m
• Rolex Grand Prix de la ville de Dinard CSI5* at 1.60m

FREE ENTRY