Richard Vogel is keeping his focus on the Rolex Grand Slam dream as he prepares for the Spruce Meadows Masters in September. A victory there would make him only the second rider, after Scott Brash, to win three consecutive majors in the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, along with the 1M-Euro bonus.
Vogel's First Summer Series at Spruce Meadows
This is the German rider’s first time at the venue during the summer series. He quickly made his mark, winning four classes at the Pan American tournament and headlining the field at this week’s North American as the second-ranked rider in the world. Vogel explained that he had planned to come earlier but was busy with championships: “I have to be honest, the last two summers, I already had it on the agenda, but there are nice venues in Europe as well, and there was always the scouting for the championship two years ago, the Olympics, last year for the Europeans.”
United Touch S: The Grand Slam Contender
Vogel’s top horse, United Touch S, has already won two Rolex majors this season and is in great form. Vogel noted, “United Touch has had a great start to the season. Obviously he won two Rolex majors, he’s in great form. It’s not that I have to prove a lot with him in these two weeks.” To prepare for the upcoming Masters and the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Vogel gave United Touch time off and brought younger horses to Spruce Meadows to get used to the rings.
The Pressure of the Grand Slam
The Rolex Grand Slam is always on Vogel’s mind. “It’s in the back of our head more or less constantly,” he admitted. “Not always the main topic, but it’s always there. You know it’ll be one of the, if not THE most important show of this season.” He is carefully planning United Touch’s schedule to be fit for both the WEG three weeks before the Masters and the Masters itself. Vogel noted that last year, United Touch performed well at the Aachen major and then the Europeans two weeks later, showing he can handle back-to-back major shows.
Young Horses as Plan B
With United Touch resting, Vogel has brought top-notch youngsters including Diatasio, Phenyo Van Het Keysersbos, Chember 3, and Gangster Montdesir. Gangster won the AON grand prix last weekend and will attempt the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday. Vogel said, “Gangster jumped good, a little bit shy, not as confident as usual. We gave him one day off and he couldn’t have performed better, even with all the rain. He was very confident and I was very happy and proud of him. He has never been here and – you never know – we might need a Plan B and it’s good to have one.”
