The golden age of Swedish show jumping continues.
Winners of the team gold medal at both the 2022 world championships and the 2020 Olympics, Sweden added to its haul on Saturday afternoon at Spruce Meadows during the Masters tournament. Featuring four top-flight riders, including world number one Henrik von Eckermann and number three Peder Fredricson, the Swedes captured their first ever BMO Nations’ Cup in Calgary.
“That’s just the thing,” suggested chef d’equipe Henrik Ankarcrona. “It really is the golden age. And just to be part of it, to look back in I don’t know how many years … we were actually part of that. We were in the middle of it. It’s something for sure I’ll tell my kids and grandkids about it.”
The squad, which also includes Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Jens Fredricson, finished the two-round competition with four total faults. Second spot went to Switzerland with seven faults, while the Netherlands were third with eight.
“It’s a bucket list thing,” added Ankarcrona. “I think every show jumper in the world who starts from the beginning and knows a little about the world knows about Spruce Meadows. Just to come here and see it is one thing; to come here and even ride and fight for the trophy and in the end get the name on, there’s so much work to get there. I’m super proud of the riders.”
Canada, with Mario Deslauriers, Jacqueline Steffens Daly, Erynn Ballard and Amy Millar, were fifth. Millar, the anchor, couldn’t have done a better job aboard Truman, as the pair posted two clear rounds.
Sweden had five clears out of seven tries. Peder Fredricson, on Catch Me Not S, needed less than seven faults in his final go in order to stay ahead of Switzerland and copped four on a single takedown.
“Well, I knew the pressure was on,” he said. “It was the last thing Henrik Ankarcrona told me when I was going in, that the pressure was on. It didn’t start off great, I had an early fault, but today I managed to get the job done. I’m very, very happy to be in this position and very proud to be here and win this trophy.”
It is his first time at the Meadows.
“I grew up with it, always watching it,” the 50-year-old noted. “I’d heard that it was very big fences, short time and very difficult. And now when I’ve been here, I feel that everything I’ve been told is correct.”
Von Eckermann, riding Nababette Z, went clean in Round 1 but in Round 2, they shockingly vaulted the wrong water jump and were eliminated.
“She jumped good in the first round and was actually amazing in the second round, felt great,” described von Eckermann. “I jumped the bike and I travelled up, it was 11 strides to the water. I wanted to go for the last three because she jumps quite high. She has respect for the water. But just from one second to the other, she grabbed the bit and went to the right and I couldn’t steer anymore. The steering was out of function. She has a great mind and she still tried, she saw the other water. But … I had such good teammates today to carry it home.”
Bengtsson, double clear on Ermindo W, was last at the venue in 1994. Jens Fredricson was also faultless with Markan Cosmopolit.
“This team has been riding together all our lives,” said Jens Fredricson. “We’re very good friends. With Henrik as chef d’equipe, it’s top of the world.”
And it happened on a brilliant day, with a full house on hand.
“Today, it was amazing,” said von Eckermann. “With Covid, we missed this type of crowd and we are so happy to be back where we want to have the sport and jump in front of such a crazy and good crowd.”
Switzerland, with Pius Schwizer, Edouard Schmitz, world number two Martin Fuchs and Steve Guerdat, did all they could in the second round, posting an all-clear performance. But a couple of miscues in Round 1 kept them just behind the Swedes.
Besides Millar’s impressive showing, Deslauriers and Bardolina 2 had 12 faults, Steffens Daly and Freaky also had 12, while Ballard had some difficulties with her young mount Narcotique VH Dingenshof.
In the only other event in the International Ring, Britain’s Matthew Sampson solidified himself as rider of the 2022 Spruce Meadows year, winning his 20th class since June. Sampson, 32, and his mare Ebolensky sped through the second try of the Suncor Winning Round in a time of 58.14. Kent Farrington and Creedance, another pair of speed demons, tried their outmost to clip them and posted a nutty time of 55.93, but lost control on the last jump and took it down.
The 2022 Masters culminates on Sunday with the $3M CP International grand prix, one of the legs of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.
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