Britain's Donald Whitaker and Millfield Collette Capture the Trophée de Genève
No U.S. Riders in the Jump-off; Christian Ahlmann Is Second and Cian O'Connor, Third
12 December 2025 at 12:06 pmBy a.dunne

After becoming one of nine double clears in a field of 49 from the first round, Britain's Donald Whitaker and the 12-year-old Oldenburg mare Millfield Collete nailed the jump-off and won the CSI5* - 1.60m class, the Trophée de Genève. Germany's Christian Ahlmann and the 10-year-old Zangersheide stallion Dourkhan Hero Z finished second. The new pairing of Cian O'Connor and 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding Chatolinue PS clinched third, in their third show together.
Highest finish for a U.S. rider is 14th
After going 29th in the order, Lillie Keenan and Argan de Beliard jumped clear, but had 2 time faults. Keenan would be the only American to leave up all the fences in the first round. Kent Farrington and Toulayna were on a roll, but pulled down the penultimate fence to finish 17th. Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque had 8 jumping faults, while Kyle King and Candy exited the ring with both jumping and time faults.
The top seven placings represent seven different countries
1 Donald Whitaker (Great Britain) - MILLFIELD COLLETTE - 0/45.15
2 Christian Ahlmann (Germany) - DOURKHAN HERO Z - 0/46.73
3 Cian O'Connor (Ireland) - CHATOLINUE PS - 0/47.16
4 Max Kühner (Austria) - EIC DALOUBET - 0/50.02
5 Edouard Schmitz (Switzerland) - GAMIN VAN'T NAASTVELDHOF - 4/44.01
6 Peder Fredricson (Sweden) - ALCAPONE DES CARMILLE - 4/45.84
7 Nicola Philippaerts (Belgium) - KATANGA V/H DINGESHOF - 4/47.64
8 Steve Guerdat - ALBFUEHREN'S lASHIN SITTE - 8/47.70
9 Scott Brash - HELLO JEFFERSON - 8/54.69
Edouard Schmitz and Gamins Van't Naastveldhof, on their home turf, drew loud "ohs" from the indoor crowd when the duo pulled the final fence in the jump-off. They finished with the fastest time.
Belgium's Nathan Budd and Touardo Blue Z finished 10th with one time fault in the first round, and Germany's Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Singclair also clocked in with one time fault in the first round to finish 11th. In fact, the time allowed proved difficult for several riders in the first round.
Britain's Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson were first to go in the first round and finished outside the time by 0.56 seconds. However, after the first few riders, the time allowed was adjusted from 72 seconds to 73 seconds. Brash then found himself in the jump-off, and it would be a while before another rider joined him. Max Kühner of Austria, with Eic Daloubet, was the 15th rider to enter the ring and guaranteed there would be a jump-off.
In the first round, Germany's Christian Ahlmann and Dourkhan Hero Z achieved a rarity in show jumping - finishing on the exact time allowed.
Most of the double-clear rounds were delivered in the second half of the order.
A plank jump at fence nine in the first round was the bane of several riders.
Also, the final fence on the course, fence 13, aptly numbered, foiled a few otherwise clear rounds.
The Trophée de Genève is considered a warm-up for Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix - the last Major of the year in the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.
ClipMyHorse.TV is broadcasting the CHI de Genève live HERE
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