Text © World of Showjumping

Friday's highlight at the 2024-edition of Falsterbo Horse Show in Sweden was the CSIO5* 1.60m Agria Falsterbo Nations Cup where the Swedish team took the title after a jump-off against Germany.

Ten teams – Sweden, Germany, Ireland, USA, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and France – set off to battle it out over two rounds designed by the Spanish mastermind Santiago Varela, who in three weeks' time will be responsible for the tracks at the Olympic Games in Paris together with his French colleague Gregory Bodo. 

The best eight teams returned for the second round, with Germany and Ireland in the lead on a score of zero. The hosts were on a hunt for a home win but entered the second round as the underdogs, carrying a total of eight penalties. Left out of round two were the French and the Norwegians, that both collected twenty penalties each in round one.

As the pathfinders for the Swedes, the current world number one Henrik von Eckermann and Iliana (Cardento 933 x Gentleman) got Henrik Ankarcrona's home team off to a good start in round one with a clear. However, it was clears from Wilma Hellström and Cicci BJN (Ci Ci Senjor Ask x Tornesch 1042), Emma Emanuelsson and Canbella Blue PS (Cantolar x Chacco-Blue), as well as from Amanda Landeblad aboard For Killy (Otangelo x For Pleasure) in round two that kept the team total on eight penalties – to tie them with Germany.

Germany's Andre Thieme – fresh from his win in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen – was not only riding, but also took over the chef d'equipe duties in Falsterbo. Aboard Paule S (Perigueux x Sir Shutterfly), Thieme delivered one of the only four double clears of the competition, while a score of 0/4 from Sophie Hinners aboard Special Life (I'm Special de Muze x Narew XX) and Carsten-Otto Nagel aboard GK Curacao (Clarimo x Lerano 2) left the Germans equal with the Swedes when Sandra Auffarth and Quirici H's (Frh Quaid x Escudo 19) result was counted as the drop-score.

In the jump-off to decide the win, the Germans chose Andre Thieme and Paule S, while the Swedes sent out Emma Emanuelsson and Canbella Blue PS. As first to go, Emanuelsson and the 10-year-old Canbella Blue PS secured the win for the hosts despite a pole down in 36.76, when the Germans recorded 12 penalties in 41.69. 

Michael Blake's Irish team – Darragh Kenny on Eddy Blue (Eldorado Vd Zeshoek x Chacco-Blue), Conor Swail on Casturano (Castelan 3 x Canturo), Daniel Coyle on Incredible (Clinton x Heartbreaker) and Cian O'Connor on Fancy de Kergane (Berdenn de Kergane x Cor de Hus) – finished third on twelve penalties, ahead of USA in fourth and the Swiss squad in fifth. 

"It is always special to win on home soil," the Swedish chef d'equipe Henrik Ankarcrona said in the press conference following their popular victory. "I think that the horses jumped well in the first round despite the few mistakes, but after Henrik's eight [to start the second round] things looked a little dark for us. However, with team jumping, it is never over until it is over." 

"It started as it should," Henrik von Eckermann commented on his performance. "Unfortunately I changed my riding a bit for the second round and was too much forward to the plank. What I did well in the first round, was that with Iliana, it is about holding the weight on the hinglegs on the last stride, and those two places – the plank and the white vertical – I did the opposite, rode forward instead and got two poles down. Luckily, I have these great ladies by my side who did an amazing job to keep us in the game. When the the first rider has eight faults like I did, you know that every result after counts and they did a grea job – I am thankful for that!" 

"My second round was perfect, and as I came out of the ring, I heard that there would be a jump-off," Emma Emanuelsson said. "And I was sure that Henrik would be the one who would do that! In the jump-off, with the Germans coming after us, I knew we had to be fast."