Text © World of Showjumping

As second last to go, Germany’s David Will snatched the win from Sweden’s Peder Fredricson in the first qualifier at the Longines FEI European Championships 2021 at Riesenbeck International. Will made the most of his championship debut for Germany, and now leads the way on the individual standing with the 13-year-old gelding C Vier (Cardento x Concorde) going into the second round.

“First of all, I am of course delighted that I am able to ride my first championship here in Germany. I think that is something really special,” Will said. “My plan was not necessarily to win this class. I wanted to plan a really good round and do everything accordingly to be somewhere in the front leading up to the next days. Of course, winning is a very big plus, so I could not be happier – and of course could not be happier with my horse. I think he was jumping amazing; he did not touch one pole and made all the jumps easy for me so most credit belongs to him.”

While the first qualifier ended with a German win, the Swedes came strong in force today and all their four riders delivered clears in the opening round of the Europeans – a Table C class set at 1.50m – and they are now in the lead of the preliminary team standing. 

Frank Rothenberger had designed a tough course for the horses and riders. It counted thirteen fences and included three combinations, an open water as well as a tricky upright of planks at jump no. nine that gave the horses the impression of a wall. “I think it was a really well-built course, it was quite welcoming for the horses and it was a nice start,” Peder Fredricson commented after the competition. “Still, there were a few very good questions – you could turn inside to the water, and then there were two combinations at the end of the course, so I think he [Frank Rothenberger] did a really good job. It got the horses to jump well and confident.”

With faults being converted to time, there was plenty of room for risk. As 54th in the order to go, Fredricson went into the lead with a fantastic fast and efficient round aboard the 15-year-old gelding Catch Me Not S (Cardento x Ramiro’s Son) when stopping the clock at 72.58 seconds. With his performance, Fredricson pushed his compatriot Douglas Lindelöw and the 11-year-old gelding Casquo Blue (Chacco-Blue x Carthago Z) down from the top of the leaderboard. “I rode according to the plan,” Lindelöw told about his performance which saw him cross the finish line in 73.99 seconds. “I had the opportunity to watch a few in the beginning, to finalize the plan a bit. I think it’s easy to get drawn with a little when the class is running, and to try to ride faster than your actual plan – but I rode according to mine, and I am very happy with the result and with my horse.”

As the competition drew towards a close, it looked like there would be a Swedish duo on top – but Will wanted it differently as the penultimate rider in the ring at Riesenbeck International. Staying clear on the fences with a round in an incredible 71.66 seconds, Will made his way through the finish line almost a second quicker than Fredricson. Only 0.46 points separate Will and Fredricson as the second qualifier gets underway on Thursday, and on the team standings the Swedes are overnight leaders on a total score of 3.59 followed closely by the Germans in 4.77 and the Swiss on 5.47. 

“I think we can be very happy with this start,” Will said about the German team. “Of course, it was bad for the team that Maurice could not ride but the decision had to be made for the welfare of the horse. But, if you have Marcus Ehning as your 5th rider I think you are off pretty good. We have a good team, and a good team spirit and we are working really well together. We will see where this leads us.”

Rescheduled to Riesenbeck International at the end of 2020, after the multi-disciplined 2021 FEI European Championships in Budapest were cancelled due to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, it’s been a challenge for Event President Ludger Beerbaum and his team to get the venue ready on time. “I am actually really pleased and relieved, a little bit proud and also a little bit honoured,” said Beerbaum as the first qualifier had concluded. “From an organiser’s point of view, I am really happy, because of the course, and because of the circumstances. I think you never really know, especially when you run such an event for the first time, you feel a bit of pressure – are we really able to do this, are we competent enough, will the ground last, will we have a nice competition? Especially in the speed class, you never know 100%, but all together I could not be more pleased.”

The riders were also full of praise for the venue for the Europeans, located in the picturesque countryside outside Hörstel in Germany, where the horses have taken the absolute centre stage in the build-up of the magnificent facilities. “I think it is a fantastic place, for the horses, riders and grooms,” Peder Fredricson said. “It is really nice, big stables, good boxes for the horses, they have windows, a lot of places to grass and to ride. The ring feels really, really good, it’s nice to ride in a big grass ring like this. I must say I am really impressed by the venue.”