Show jumping’s elite will come together in 's-Hertogenbosch over the coming four days to compete at The Dutch Masters ©Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping

Show jumping's elite will come together in 's-Hertogenbosch over the coming four days to compete at The Dutch Masters.

The highlight of this year's first major, which last year became part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, will be the Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday (March 17).

Among the stellar line-up is Germany's Marcus Ehning, who remains in contention for the Rolex Grand Slam and will be hoping to emulate his success at the Concours Hippique International (CHI) Geneva in December 2018. 

Ehning also triumphed at the Concours Hippique International Officiel Aachen last July and given his impressive run of form, he will no doubt be hopeful of repeating his victory at The Dutch Masters from 2016.

Another rider to look out for is world number one Steve Guerdat.

The Swiss, who won the Rolex International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 Final at the CHI Geneva, leads the roster of Rolex Testimonees among the 40 competing riders.

"As part of the Rolex Grand Slam, the majors are the most important shows for me," Guerdat was reported as saying by Everything Horse.

"I am now fully focused on The Dutch Masters and will certainly be aiming to win the first major of 2019."

Germany’s Marcus Ehning remains in contention for the Rolex Grand Slam ©Getty Images
Germany’s Marcus Ehning remains in contention for the Rolex Grand Slam ©Getty Images

The designer of the course in 's-Hertogenbosch is The Netherlands' Louis Konickx, a world leader in his field.

The Rolex Grand Slam is considered by the sport to be the ultimate equestrian challenge.

Launched in 2013, the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is the only initiative to reward the outstanding rider who wins majors consecutively, at four of the world's most historic shows.

It rewards the very best horse and rider combination with a €1 million (£850,000/$1.1 million) bonus.

If all four majors are won in succession, a further €1 million bonus is awarded.

If two shows are won in succession, the bonus is €500,000 (£425,000/$567,000).

It was recently reported that a film promoting the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping has made a huge impact on social media, attaining a reach of 12 million on Facebook and generating more than 3.6 million views on YouTube.

The Rolex Grand Slam released a new multi-channel media campaign in March 2018, which included a 60-seconds long commercial with the strapline "Surpass yourself and become a legend".