Text © World of Showjumping

Sweden's Peder Fredricson and the 10-year-old SV Vroom de La Pomme Z (Vigo D Arsouilles Stx x Untouchable 27) won Sunday's CSI4* 1.55m Sweden H&M Grand Prix in Stockholm, at the 2024-edition of Sweden International Horse Show. 

Nine horse-and-rider combinations of the eighteen in the class managed to stay clear over the 13-fence track set by Peter Lundström to join the deciding jump-off. With five Swedish riders qualified for the jump-off the chances of a home win were pretty good, and a loud Stockholm-crowd cheered their heroes on as one after the other delivered. 

The first clear in the jump-off came from Amanda Landeblad (SWE) and her consistent For Killy (Otangelo x For Pleasure), who stopped the clock at 43.07 seconds. While Landeblad put pressure on the rest with a risky inside turn to the fourth fence in the jump-off – an oxer – the time looked possible to improve, which soon would be proved by Peder Fredricson (SWE) who opted for the same turn to stop the clock on 42.36 aboard SV Vroom de La Pomme Z.

Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) followed next but could not keep the same speed as Landeblad and Fredricson, crossing the finish line in 43.59 seconds with Zuccero HV (VDL Zirocco Blue x Caretino 2). Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) was next in the ring and last out of the five Swedes, but opted for a safe clear on Henessy (Hogwart x Piano II) to slot into fourth.

Last to go, Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) had the chance to snatch the win from the hosts but could not match the top three's pace aboard Precious Dwerse Hagen (Cornet Obolensky x Casall) and had to settle for fourth as the timers stopped on 44.98 seconds, with the Belgian rider pushing in between Fredricson in 1st, Landeblad in 2nd, Bengtsson in 3rd and Baryard-Johnsson in 5th.

This was Fredricson and SV Vroom de La Pomme Z's first international Grand Prix win. "It hasn’t been a straightforward journey, even though he has a lot of talent," Fredricson said of the gelding, that he has been riding since March 2023, in a press release from Sweden International Horse Show. "But now he’s starting to understand what to do, and it’s a great feeling when you reach that point."

“It has been a fantastic weekend and an amazing competition. The atmosphere with the audience was great," Fredricson said.