Friday 8 July is Nations Cup day in Falsterbo. Buy your tickets on www.ticketmaster.se
Picture: Meridith Michaels-Beerbaum & Fibonacci 17
The Brazilian international course designer Guilherme Jorge, who will be designing all the Showjumping courses at the Rio Olympics in 2016, has confirmed that he will also design the courses at Falsterbo Horse Show next year
– I am very excited about the possibility of designing the courses at such a prestigious event as CSIO 5* Falsterbo. It is for sure one of the most traditional international shows on the circuit and I am looking forward to it, says Guilherme Jorge.
– We are thrilled to have Guilherme ”Gui” Jorge here in Falsterbo just one month before the Olympics in Rio. He is a fantastic course designer and this will be extremely interesting both for riders and the audience says Jana Wannius, chairman of Falsterbo Horse Show,
Swedish Showjumping chef d’équipe, Sylve Söderstrand: – It’s fantastic that Jana Wannius has convinced him to come, so close to the Olympic Games. It is a great privelage for the Swedish team, on their home turf, to discover some of the challenges that Gui Jorge sets for riders and horses.
Friday in Falsterbo is traditionally set for the big crowd favorite Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ presented by Longines. In this international team competition 45 nations world wide participate with the goal to reach the grand finale in Barcelona. Eight nations arrived at Falsterbo where five collected Nations Cup points.
The rules state that the teams ride the same course twice and the total number of errors ad up. The lowest score in each round will not count and the team with the least number of errors after two rounds win. After the first round both Germany and the Netherlands had zero errors just ahead of Sweden and Switzerland with four each. But when it comes to team competition it is rarely settled until the last rider has finished. The Netherland riders continued to ride faultlessly. In fact their fourth rider; Gerco Schröder, did not have to jump at all. The first time we saw him on his horse was at the price giving ceremony and the lap of honour. Germany on the other hand ended on four faults whilst Sweden managed to score a zero on the second round leaving the two teams on a shared second place.
Switzerland who got eight more faults in the second round ended up in fourth place. The Netherlands were in great need of points to be able to reach the finale in Barcelona, but the team´s third rider, Leopold van Asten, was not nervous.
-Harrie (Smolders) and Maikel (van der Vleuten) rode clear rounds before me and I knew Gerco (Schröder), who was starting after me, also is a great rider which made me feel calm, Leopold van Asten explained. Rob Ehrens, coach for the Netherland team, was happy to establish that he is a very happy man.
The Swedish team did a nice uprising in the second round. Peder Fredricson scored a double clear round, while the other team mates scored a clear round each on the demanding 1,60 metres obstacle course.
-Everyone contributed to our second place, Sylve Söderstrand, coach of the Swedish team explained: Hopefully our place in the finale should be set now. That has been one of our goals this year. The Swedish team consisted of: Peder Fredricson with H&M All in; Douglas Lindelöw with Casello; Helena Persson with Bonzai and Henrik von Eckermann with Cantinero.
Excellent news for the international equestrian community as FEI TV (FEITV.org) will offer live streaming and extensive Video on Demand coverage from the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 from Falsterbo (SWE)
FEITV.org is FEI’s official video website and a sophisticated online broadband offering to equestrian enthusiasts around the world. The portal presents fans globally with the most comprehensive library of official equestrian video content available anywhere on the internet and spans across multiple equestrian disciplines.
The content portfolio includes high quality live and on-demand streaming of flagship FEI events. This features a wide range of shows from FEI’s most important series and championships, including the FEI European Championships, the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™, the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping, the FEI Classics™ and the FEI World Cup™ Eventing as well as the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage and other leading competitions.
In addition, the visitors to the site can also enjoy access to a broad selection of equestrian videos, including event previews and reviews, highlights, interviews, features and an extensive video archive.
Sign up today at www.feitv.org and check for broadcasting times and further details!
We already have the best grass course in Sweden; now work is starting on what will be the best grass course in Europe! For the 2015 competition, the International Showjumping Arena will be as flat as a dance floor. A special grass, a grass mix that is also in use at Ascot racecourse, will be sown.
Falsterbo Horse Show recived this email and want’s to share it with you:
“Thanks a lot for the fantastic show in Falsterbo. I was the first time in Falsterbo and I’m unbelievable impressed. The organisation was perfect, the atmosphere just incredible. It is so important for our sport that we have contest likes yours. Every day so many spectators, very fair, very friendly, just perfect.
Thanks a lot to you and all your staff and we would be very pleased and honoured if we are invited again in a year.
All the best
Andy
Andy Kistler
Chef d’Equipe Show Jumping Elite Switzerland”
On Saturday afternoon it was time for the jumping horses´ big endurance test; Gigantprint Falsterbo Derby. The course, which is the same every year, is 1,200 meters long over 20 fences, of which about half of them are natural fences.
24 riders from as much as 13 nations came to start, which is unique for Falsterbo, compared to other big Derby´s. The Derby course not only consists of spectacular 1,50 fences, but also elements that are less familiar to a showjumping horse, like jumping out from the grass course only to get back in down a very steep bank and then to jump a considerably high fence only one stride after coming down
back on the grass.
After the first round, despite all the difficulties, we saw five riders finishing with 0 penalties. First out in the second round was Jur Vrieling, Netherlands- Zavall Vdl who immeditately put pressure on the competitors by pulling off a round free from faults with a very fast time. He was still at the lead when the last starting rider; Jens Fredricson- Avon entered the course. The audience held their breath, but unfortunately a pole fell and Jens finished at 4th place.
Jur Vreiling has won the Falsterbo Derby once before – 2009 – then with the horse Nerina.
– I am really happy with Zavall, said Jur. This was his first Derby and I was curious about how he would handle it. Zavall acted like he had done nothing but jumping Derby´s before. We will definately come back to defend the title next year!
– It wasn´t idealistic to go out last today; said Jens Fredricsson. After the first round, Avon only got 2 minutes rest before I had to sit up back on him. He would have needed at least ten minutes to take a breather. This was not the reason for the pole falling though, we came to close to the fence. The placement are not the most important, but the performance, which I am really really happy with – he is totally relaxed and really loves jumping!
Finishing 2nd in the Gigaprint Falsterbo Derby was Olivier Philippaerts, Belgium- Carlito C and on 3rd place was captain Michael Kelly, Ireland- Mo Chroi.
Niklas Arvidsson – Hasard 1245 (Heartbeat – Voltaire, breeder: Elizabeth Lindblad, owner: Fam Lundberg-Persson och Fam Svensson) winner of Horseware 7 year old championship jumping.
Congratulations!
Photo: Isabella von Schrowe