“This is a fantastic show and it is wonderful to see the interest among the youth in Sweden. When you get that kind of support and have that interest and engagement it feels important to give back with a victory,” Fredricson said about the audience in Stockholm. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
Text © World of Showjumping
As last to go in the jump-off, Peder Fredricson (SWE) and H&M Christian K (Namelus R x Calvados) gave the enthusiastic Swedish crowds a home win in the CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix presented by H&M at Sweden International Horse Show. The Grand Prix saw three H&M riders in the top three with Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) and H&M Miro (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) taking second and Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and H&M Luna Van’t Ruytershof Z (Levisto Z x For Pleasure) taking third.
“This was really fun,” a happy Fredricson said after his win. “Christian has been jumping very good the whole weekend. I now ride him in a hackamore which gives me more control and he thinks it is more comfortable without a bit in the mouth. I didn’t think I would win though, because he is not the quickest horse, but I got a good round.”
”Christian is a slow horse, very slow. I have to go for it already in the first round to not get any time penalties. So, I knew that in the jump-off I had to be on the limit all the time and then you need to take chances and do the turns before you have seen the distances,” Fredricson explained.
Jumping the combination on long reins, Fredricson detailed: “I got a bit deep into the combination. So, my old eventing spirit kicked in and I sat up and let go of the reins, just in case we would get a pole between the front legs and also to let the horse have full freedom to use his body and neck. First, I thought it would never work out, but then we got over that first fence and Christian stretched good in the combination and also managed to get over the b-element. I’m happy I didn’t take the time to collect everything and instead continued with long reins to collect it on the way. It worked out this time.”
Peder Fredricson in the combination in the jump-off where he at first didn't think he would make it out clear. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
“I think I saved time between fence two and three, and also on the last two fences, but I will have it analysed. Often you think you know where you saved time, but I have realized that what you think is not always correct. So, I have a guy that helps me with analyses. If I win, the analyse is towards the runner-up and if I end third he compares it with the winner. In that way I will know where I lost or won and will know exactly what I have to train and what to develop. I have done that for some years now, and it has helped me enormously to become faster and to win,” Fredricson explained. “It is head-to-head, but also fence by fence. We count the seconds it takes from the landing of one fence to the take-off at the next fence. Then we can see fence by fence who is the quickest,” he continued.
Eight horse and rider combinations cleared the first round and half of them went clear for a second time around in this Grand Prix. Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli (SWE) and Chadora Lady (Chacco-Blue x Nintender) took the fourth place and were followed by Jerome Guery (BEL) and Great Britain V (Nabab de Reve x Carolus H) – the fastest four faulters – in fifth.
Then