The world-ranked number one rider and his 11-year-old Dutch gelding – his second choice mount – went clear over both rounds in the finale in front of a 12,000 crowd at the Scandinavium arena to finish just one point ahead of fellow Swiss Martin Fuchs, who was riding Clooney.

Home rider Peder Fredricson, aboard Catch Me Not S, finished third on five penalty points.

Some 25 riders took part in Round A, carrying all the penalty points from their previous events in this Gothenburg Horse Show, with 19 advancing to the final round.

Guerdat had won the opening event on Thursday night, but had dropped to third overall coming into today’s competition after finishing 13th on Friday, carrying two penalty points.

He had no margin of error when he took to the arena as the last rider, but kept his nerve to move conclusively to the top of the leaderboard above his fellow countryman.

“I never expected to win,” an emotional Guerdat told the crowd.

“You can only try to do your best.

“You all know what this show means to me – thank you so much.”

Daniel Deusser took fourth, followed by Niels Bruynseels in fifth and last year’s champion, Beezie Madden, in sixth.