Scott Brash MBE: Rolex Grand Slam Champion

Scott Brash may not be a household name to everyone, however, he is a man who has achieved more than any other in his sport’s history. The greatest of his achievements have mostly been in partnership with his phenomenal ride, Hello Sanctos. The pair won team Olympic Gold in London 2012 for Great Britain, Scott held the position of number one showjumper in the world for 2 years with Hello Sanctos also holding the position of best horse in the world, and in 2015 the pair went on to achieve an accolade never attained in showjumping history, the Rolex Grand Slam. I sat down with him to discuss what it meant to win the most prestigious prize in showjumping and the interest it has sparked in him for watches.

What did it mean to you winning gold at your first Olympics and on your home turf?

Being selected on your home turf is an incredible feeling and achievement by itself. It was a goal that I have always looked towards throughout my life but then to go to London and win gold medal in your home country was quite an unbelievable feeling especially as it was my first Olympics.

Despite holding the title of no1 in the World for a total of 2 years, we still see you at the local shows. Being able to see the sport from such a broad point of you, how do you see the sport evolving commercially with the likes of Rolex being involved?

I think that as a whole, the sport is going in a very good direction. There are so many more shows now, most significantly there are far more 5 star shows (shows at the highest level). The Global Champions Tour has broadened the sport’s audiences to being worldwide – we’re now jumping on Miami Beach, in Shanghai, places you never would have believed we could have jumped at 20 years ago.  The Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping is an incredible series for our sport to have, it is the pinnacle. The culmination of the 3 biggest Grand Prix in the world, Geneva, Aachen and Calgary – giving us another series to aim for and I think that as a result, the sport is going in the right direction. However, I obviously think that it is also important to be jumping at local shows with your young horses because it is all about the future. We have to keep generating the next horses that we feel can do Grand Prix because horses like Hello Sanctos don’t last forever.

How did it feel to win the Rolex Grand Slam, something that no one has ever done before?

I’ve always dreamt of winning one of the Rolex Grand Prix, whether it be Geneva, Aachen or Calgary because they are the three biggest Grand Prix in the world. As riders, we all dream of winning one of them once in our lifetime let alone winning all of them, especially not consecutively – words cannot describe the feelings that went through me when we achieved the Rolex Grand Slam. It is fantastic that Rolex put the series on, to combine the three best Grand Prix in the world and to put it together with the the Grand Slam Bonus gives us riders something to aim for beyond the Global Champions Tour and the Olympics – it is the pinnacle accolade to achieve in the sport. Winning at each one leaves you with a feeling of ecstasy for a very long time, winning the Grand Slam was overwhelming.

Did you let each win sink in or did you think, right now on to the next one?

Beforehand you think that it is impossible. Then when you do win one leg you think, right I really do want to target the next. After winning Geneva, I targeted Aachen and when Hello Sanctos and I won Aachen I thought “Oh God, you know what, this could be possible” and then I put all of my time and energy into winning the last part, the Calgary Grand Prix. It is renowned in Calgary that they only have one horse and rider combination jump two rounds clear, usually it doesn’t go to a jump off against the clock because of the types of lines of jumps they build that are nearly un-jumpable. I think that that is what made it more special though, being able to jump a clear there inside the time allowed, which was near impossible, and then I found myself last to go to in the final round and went on to win the whole series – it was amazing.

You’re wearing the watch that you won for the Rolex Grand Slam, the the GMT ‘Pepsi-Cola’, do you wear it often or is it kept safe?

I actually keep it safely away along with the other two watches I won for winning Geneva and Aachen. Every time I look at it, it brings back memories of that day in Calgary last year. I love the watch but it means so much to me that I want to keep it in its prime condition. If I wear it, with the lifestyle I live with the horses, the risk of me marking it are very high.

Has it heightened your interest in watches?

Absolutely! I have always had an appreciation for what a prestigious brand Rolex is but now I am far more aware of what individuals wear on their wrists. I was very lucky to be invited to the Rolex manufacture and it was a fascinating experience. You really learn a lot more about them, the work that is involved and the dedication, the small and intricate details that go into every piece. As soon as I went there, I gained a much greater appreciation.

Finally, are you still as hungry for success as you always have been considering you have ticked every box.

I’m not sure if I’ve ticked every box. It’s a bit odd really, before I was of the mindset that if you win the Rolex Grand Slam for example, you’ve done it, but now it makes me want to go out and do more, especially having done it relatively early in my career.  I think it is because of the feelings you get when you win a Grand Prix as prestigious as Geneva, Aachen or Calgary, there is no better feeling in the world, and to win the Rolex Grand Slam, nothing compares to it in this sport.

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