Text © World of Showjumping

Saturday night's CSI5*-W 1.55m Gothenburg Trophy presented by Guldfynd at the 2024-edition of Gothenburg Horse Show in Sweden went to Willem Greve and the 12-year-old stallion Highway TN N.O.P. (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Chellano).

Counting for the Longines Ranking Group A, the class had 35 horse-and-rider combinations at start, and eight of them cleared the first-round track set by the Swedish course designer Peter Lundström. In the deciding jump-off, it was the Netherland's Willem Greve and his fantastic Highway TN N.O.P. that took the win, when stopping the clock on 34.08 seconds – spoiling a Swedish party by leaving Peder Fredricson (SWE) and Alcapone des Carmille (Diamant de Semilly x Heartbreaker) to second. 

"I had to put pressure on the ones coming after me, I took risk but not all the risk," Greve said afterwards. "Like to the yellow oxer, I did one stride more, because two riders before me had a mistake on that line and I wanted to make sure that towards the combination I didn't take all the risk. For the rest, I was a bit lucky on the second last vertical, but luck was on my side tonight. Yuri was faster, but he had the last fence down – I am happy that it all came together tonight." 

"Highway is an unbelievable horse," Greve continued. "He also wants to be an unbelievable horse, he is an extreme fighter, extremely careful and very competitive. If you see the record that he has, he is very young still, but he has been a winner all through his life. Last year, due to an injury to my other horse Grandorado he stepped up to be the number one horse and he had very good results. He deserved a big victory. I felt like I left the door open a bit, I was afraid for Yuri, Peder was really close... It was a close call."

Greve's compatriot Kim Emmen (NED) and Inflame Go (Namelus R x Carthino Z) completed the podium by placing third in 37.05, while Yuri Mansur (BRA) and Vitiki (Valentino x For Expo) had to settle for fourth with a fence down in 33.62. The Dutch were showing great form with Lars Kersten (NED) and Funky Fred Marienshof Z (Fantomas de Muze x Libero H) taking the fifth spot with four faults in 34.16 seconds.