Former Irish team rider Thomas Ryan is among those named on the shortlisted for the Swedish showjumping squad at this summer’s FEI World Championships in Aachen (11-23 August).

In January H&H reported that Thomas had switched nationality, having been based in Sweden since 2019 with his wife Erica Swartz-Ryan. Thomas last rode on an Irish team in June 2024 at a Nations Cup, and under FEI rules he can ride for Sweden in team competitions from June.

At this stage, Swedish national team captain Henrik Ankacrona has named seven riders and 12 horses for Aachen – including reigning world champion Henrik von Eckermann and British-based Angelie von Essen, but he said that the “door is not closed to anyone”.

“It will be about results, form, experience and performing in that arena. Both in terms of riders and horses,” said Mr Ankacrona.

The Swedish showjumping team shortlist for the World Championships, by alphabetical order of surname:

Petronella Andersson with 11-year-old Opaline De W&S

Owner: Stephex Stables

Breeder: Marc Wens Stud

Groom: Bernadett Radnai

Henrik von Eckermann with nine-year-old Steely Dan

Owner: Cyor Stables BV

Breeder: Gerd and Gert Wauters and Van Hoydonck

Groom: Louise Barraud

Henrik von Eckermann with 10-year-old Qasirah Van De Reistenhoek

Owner: Cyor Stables BV

Breeder: Y Ramont

Groom: Louise Barraud

Henrik von Eckermann with 12-year-old Minute Man

Owner: Team Minute Man LLC

Breeder: Dany and Kim Van Lombergen

Groom: Louise Barraud

Peder Fredricson with 15-year-old Alcapone Des Carmille

Owner: Alcapone Group

Breeder: Carole Levallois

Groom: Julia Ring

Peder Fredricson with 12-year-old SV Vroom De la Pomme Z

Owner: SWE SMS AB

Breeder: Geert Baertsoen

Groom: Julia Ring

Angelie von Essen with 11-year-old Voila DK Z

Owner: BXB Competition

Breeder: Stal de Krochten

Groom: Jasmine Price

Wilma Hellström with 15-year-old Cicci BJN

Owner: rider

Breeder: JM Sohlman HB

Groom: Madelen Isaksson

Wilma Hellström with 11-year-old Eleven

Owner: Eyedidit AB

Breeder: Coudelaria Sobreiro Velho

Groom: Madelen Isaksson

Amanda Landeblad with 15-year-old For Killy

Owner: Jacobsbergs Stuteri AB

Breeder: D Dunne

Groom: Josefine Carlsson

Amanda Landeblad with 13-year-old Springfield 21

Owner: Jacobsbergs Stuteri AB

Breeder: U Hannoever

Groom: Josefine Carlsson

Thomas Ryan with 11-year-old Jezebeau BC

Owner: H3K Equestrian

Breeder: Tonia De Paepe

Groom: Brianna Donlon

All the riders have championship experience. Thomas rode for Ireland at the 2009 European Championships and Henrik and Peder were part of the gold medal-winning teams at the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 World Championships. Wilma won team gold at the 2023 Europeans and she was on the squad with Amanda, Petronella and Angelie at last year’s Europeans.

“These are riders with very strong teams,” said Mr Ankacrona. “We have a tradition of fantastic horse owners in Sweden who are very passionate about the sport and championships. They are really on the journey and are also a crucial part of it, just like the grooms.

“It will be an exciting journey all the way to the championship. We will work intensively to ensure that everyone gets the best possible plan. It is a World Championship at one of equestrian sports’ most iconic locations and it is also an Olympic qualifier. A very important championship.”

Mr Ankacrona confirmed that Sweden will send five riders to Aachen; four will form the team and one will be a reserve. Sweden will not have an individual rider.

“Now the form will be sharpened and it’s all about finding the five combinations that we believe will have their peak during the World Championships,” he said.

“You have to perform to be selected, but ultimately you have to be at your best in Aachen in August. That’s the balance that always exists when it comes to championships.”

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Swedish Olympic showjumper Peder Fredricson has been sidelined with a fractured sternum.

Peder, who turned 54 on the 30 January, announced that he expects to be out of action for the next couple of weeks.

“Unfortunately I have to stay on the ground for a few weeks due to a fracture in my sternum, most likely related to a previous injury,” he said, today (10 February).

The five-time Olympian and 2017 European champion said a “big thanks” to his home team Grevlunda Showjumping and rider Nicole Holmen for “keeping the horses going in the best possible way until I’m back in the saddle”.

A spokesperson for H&M We Love Horses, whom Peder has long-standing connection with, confirmed that “sadly there will be no Gothenburg Horse Show” for Peder. The Swedish CSI5* – which includes a World Cup qualifier – takes place 18-22 February. Peder’s brother Jens, Malin Baryard-Johnsson, and Thomas Ryan, who recently switched from riding for Ireland to Sweden, will all be in action for the home-side – alongside the likes of Germany’s Daniel Deusser, Frenchman v, and the Harrie Smolders for the Netherlands.

“Let’s all wish Peder a speedy recovery,” said the H&M spokesperson.

Peder Fredricson: 2025 season

Peder’s last international competition was CHI Geneva in December, where he was 10th in the Rolex grand prix with 16-year-old Alcapone Des Carmille. The pair enjoyed an exciting 2025, with a string of five-star placings and wins, including helping the Rome Gladiators to victory in the Global Champions League Super Cup Final in Prague, the Czech Republic, in November.

Peder last spent a stint on the sidelines in 2023 when he was hospitalised following a fall in a warm-up, resulting in six weeks out of the saddle with damaged blood vessels in his neck.

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Top showjumper Peder Fredricson has paid tribute to his gallant stable star Catch Me Not S (“Charlie”) on the gelding’s retirement.

The 19-year-old won numerous five-star grands prix, including at the 2021 London leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour (GCT).

He and Peder represented Sweden at the Paris Olympics, won individual European bronze in 2021, were part of the team at the 2018 Nations Cup and 2024 Longines League of Nations finals, and twice finished on the podium at World Cup finals.

“Thank you, Charlie,” said Peder. “He’s been an exceptional horse in every way. I had the honour of riding him at some of the world’s biggest tracks. He had a fantastic attitude and the kind of scope that made even the toughest courses feel easy.”

Peder thanked owner Ebba Berglöf “for trusting me with the reins when he was already doing so well with you”.

“It’s been a privilege to share this journey – a true partnership from start to finish,” he added.

“To Krister Svedberg – you didn’t just breed a good one. You bred a true champion. And to the team at Grevlunda, especially [groom] Madelene Nord – your care and dedication helped keep Charlie at the top, year after year. A huge part of what made his long career possible.

“Time to trade in big tracks for green fields and easy days – enjoy it, Charlie.”

The pair’s other major victories include the GCT grand prix in St Tropez, the Falsterbo Derby, the CSI5* €500,000 Rolex grand prix at the Brussels Stephex Masters, and a World Cup leg at Gothenburg Horse Show.

In 2024, they finished third in the World Cup final for a second time. Catch Me Not S, who acquired his name owing to not wanting to be caught as a foal, was the oldest horse in the competition.

“He can’t count how old he is and I don’t tell him,” said Peder at the time.

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Swedish-born Madelene Nord works as show groom to multi-medal-winning showjumper Peder Fredricson and at the recent Dutch Masters Indoor Brabant Horse Show, home of the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, she shared some insight into the secrets of their success.

Madelene has ridden since she was a small child, inspired into the saddle by her mother.

“Sweden has a huge equestrian culture with many riders and horses – not always at the top level, but more and more are reaching that stage,” Madelene says. “I also played a lot of football, so I balanced the two sports. During my last three years of school, I focussed on equestrian studies.”

Her mentor at that time was Frank Kutscher, brother of German showjumper Marco Kutscher, who was living in Sweden at the time. He helped Madelene to get to shows, leading eventually to Madelene spending six years working with Marco in Germany, before she joined Peder Fredricson.

“We are here for the horses,” says Peder Fredricson’s show groom Madelene Nord

Madelene has always enjoyed a close relationship with the horses she looks after.

“It is about being with them and spending time with them in different situations,” she says. “This helps you understand how they will react and how to adapt to them.

“We are here for the horses and our job is to learn how they behave – what they enjoy and what they do not. The only way to achieve this is by spending a lot of time with them.”

A key aspect of her role while travelling to shows is settling the horses into a routine they’re comfortable with.

“I try to keep their routines the same – ultimately as close as possible to what they are used to at home,” she explains.

“Of course, at shows, some things need to be adjusted due to the timing of classes, but maintaining familiar routines, like feeding times is very important.”

Top tips: it’s a balance between keeping horses moving and allowing them enough down time

Keeping the horses moving outside their stables is also crucial, she says, while also allowing them enough time to rest.

“I have worked with many experienced people and have learned so much from them,” explains Madelene. “Horses thrive on routine, and if you change too much, things can go wrong. The longer you spend with your horse, the easier it is to read them and notice the small details that can make the difference.”

At the Dutch Masters in Amsterdam, Madelene was looking after two of Peder Fredricson’s top horses, 17-year-old Hansson WL and 19-year-old Catch Me Not S, who she affectionately refers to as “the old gang”.

“But they are really fit and it’s so fun to be out with them because they have so much personality. They know the shows well,” she says. “As soon as they see the truck being prepared and get on it, they know exactly what is happening.”

Madelene reveals that Catch Me Not S is not the easiest at shows.

“He can be quite sharp and fresh, but he really enjoys going to shows, whilst Hansson WL is a bit more relaxed and easy going,” she says. “It is difficult to explain their personalities because we see one side of them from being around them all the time, while other people see a different side in the arena when they are competing. But they are sweet and lovely horses.”

Peder Fredricson: improve, evolve and look for ways to refine your performance

Swedish hero Peder Fredricson is one of the most successful and popular showjumpers of a generation, with nine championship medals to his name.

“He always wants to improve and evolve; he constantly looks for small ways to refine his performance and is open to trying new things,” says Madelene. “His mentality is one of his greatest strengths. He never thinks, ‘That went well, so we shouldn’t change anything’. Instead, he always looks for ways to get better.”

Madelene reveals that groundwork – including handling and lungeing – is core to their training at home and “makes a big difference”.

“This mindset is why he has remained at the top for so long,” she says. “He is always striving for improvement and finding new ways to stay at the highest level.”

Madelene praised the facilities on offer at big events such as the Dutch Masters and other Rolex Grand Slam events.

“There is a lot of space here for both us and the horses – we have room to move around,” she says. “The arenas are big and well-maintained, and everything is close by, so we can go and check out the shops and enjoy the event.

“It is a very important show – one of the biggest on our calendar. Even before you arrive, there is a lot of management involved to ensure everything is in top condition by the time you get here.

“The shows are always extremely well organised and they are continuously working to improve and refine themselves. The biggest difference is that all the top riders want to be here – not just to compete, but to win.

“There is always something extra special about these events,” she adds. “The atmosphere on grand prix day is incredibly intense, which makes it exciting because you feel how important it is. Everything has to be perfect to secure a Major victory.”

Madelene’s top tip for anyone who wants to be an elite groom, is “do not be afraid of making mistakes, but learn from those who have more experience”.

“Everyone makes errors; it is part of the learning process,” she says. “For younger grooms, my advice would be to keep trying. It will not always go perfectly, but the effort and determination will show that you truly want to do it.

“It takes time – I have been working for many years. But as long as you love the horses and are passionate about the job, you will succeed.”

With thanks to Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping

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There have been highs and lows for a number of top combinations as the pressure remains on in the Paris 2024 Olympic showjumping individual qualifier.

The second block of 25 riders have gone, with Ireland’s Daniel Coyle posting a speedy clear with the light-footed 14-year-old mare Legacy, to take provisional second in the standings. He sits behind fellow countryman Shane Sweetnam and James Kaan Cruz, who still lead the way from the first session.

“I don’t know what to say anymore,” said a delighted Daniel. “She’s 14, but her mind doesn’t think it, which is hard sometimes. I was expecting her to be more tired, but then when I felt that she was fresh, I thought ‘Ok, I need to change a little bit how I’m going to ride her today otherwise, I’ll end up making a mistake’.

“There was a lot of pressure today, in all the wrong ways. It’s nothing to do with the jumping or the crowd – it’s just trying to get through the finish with a good score because after this week, she deserves to be in the final, no matter what. So I would have been disappointed if she wasn’t.”

Daniel felt today’s course was more simple than the team qualifier and final.

“They were both really tough rounds. This one’s for sure a little softer, and there’s a lot of clears, which is a little scary, because who knows how it will go tomorrow,” said Daniel.

European champions Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme found redemption with a confident clear, which will come as relief after Switzerland missed out on a place in the team final. The pair currently sit in fourth.

“It has been a long three days waiting,” said Steve. “The worst part is I didn’t know really what happened the first day, so I didn’t know what her reaction would be until the first fence today. But straight away she gave me a much better feeling in the ring than in the team competition and made my life easier. She was back to herself today and we had really, really good round.”

Steve was frustrated following his round in the team qualifier last week, and reflecting back he believes Dynamix De Belheme perhaps need some more exposure.

“I think probably the mistake I made was not in my riding the first day, but more in my preparation prior to this championship where she was maybe just not ready,” he said.

“Coming in she was maybe lacking a few bigger classes, and I didn’t give her enough confidence the first day, so I tried to stay a little bit calmer today and trust her even though it wasn’t that easy prior to the class. But when she gave me that feeling, I thought ‘Ok now she’s back to normal’ so I can concentrate on just giving an easy ride.”

Discussing the course, Steve said they haven’t jumped the same fence twice, “something we only see in the Olympics”.

“We have new jumps every day. My mare hasn’t that much experience, even though she’s 11. She hasn’t jumped many really big championships and she can be a little bit spooky so that probably didn’t help us on the first day, but that’s the same for everybody. It’s an advantage for a few horses and disadvantage for a few others,” he said, adding that the course is big and some of the fences are “very delicate”.

“It’s a lot of jumping effort for the horses, but we are a great sport and we’ll see what we can bring tomorrow.”

It was also joy for Britain’s Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson, who jumped clear in 75.78sec and sit just behind Harry Charles and Romeo 88 on 75.72sec, who also posted a superb clear.

Combinations are feeling the pressure as they navigate course-designers Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo’s track. Thirty places are up for grabs in tomorrow’s medal-decider, and with only 15 clear rounds after the 50 combinations who have jumped so far, combinations who are on four-faults still have a chance to make it through to the final, where the slate is wiped clean. So far, Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z, who jumped in the first 25, are the quickest of the four-faulters, on 70.94.

The home side’s Simon Delestre, who became a team bronze medallist on Friday, had an unlucky pole with I Amelusina R 51 – as did the USA’s Laura Kraut and Baloutine, who tapped the planks at fence 6. Sweden’s Peder Fredricsson and Catch Me Not S, who have had an uncharacteristic performance in Paris, had eight faults, having knocked the final part of the triple combination, fence 10c, and fence 11.

Fence 12, an optical illusion wall, has played its part for this second group of riders, with the UAE’s Abdullah Mohd Al Marri’s ride McGregor and Ladriano Z, ridden by Daniel Bluman for Israel, both having stops, and opting to retire. Spanish rider Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Rokfeller De Pleville also retired after experiencing difficulty on course.

At the time of writing, there are 22 combinations left to jump in the Olympic showjumping individual qualifier, including Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly, McLain Ward and Ilex, and Cian O’Connor and Maurice.

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Britain is through to the Olympic showjumping team final in style, after a third rotation that shook up the leaderboard in the qualifying round – and included some surprising results.

Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly’s clear, and Harry Charles and Romeo 88 and Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson’s four faults each, meant they finished the team qualifier in third place, of the top 10 teams that will contest the medals tomorrow (2 August).

Germany tops the leaderboard with three clears, from Christian Kukuk (Checker 47), Philipp Weishaupt (Zineday) and Richard Vogel (United Touch S). The US finished second on six faults; Karl Cook and Caracole De La Roque and Laura Kraut and Baloutinue jumped clear, and last combination McLain Ward and Ilex picked up four for jumping and two for time.

On eight faults were Belgium and the Netherlands, in fourth and fifth respectively, Ireland finished sixth on nine and hosts France are in seventh on 12.

One major surprise came for defending Olympic champions Sweden, which had kicked off with two clears but finished today in eighth place on 17 faults, after Peder Fredricson and Catch Me not S had an uncharacteristic run-out at the wall at fence 11 as well as a pole, notching up nine time-faults.

“It was very good until the wall and I don’t really know, maybe I turned a little bit tight to it,” Peder said. “And then he got a bit surprised and didn’t know if he was supposed to jump it or what it was, so he stopped. And that really surprised me because I had a very good feeling until then.”

Peder said that in this new format, with no drop score, he felt the pressure to get home.

“Although I wasn’t very worried because normally he doesn’t stop,” he said. “But anyway, I had to make sure it didn’t happen again, but we were lucky. We made it to the final and then we start on zero tomorrow. So for the sake of the results, it doesn’t really matter. But of course, I would have been happy with a clear.”

Israel and Mexico complete the top 10 through to tomorrow but Switzerland provided another shock; having finished fifth as a team in Tokyo, they will not feature in tomorrow’s final as they finished 12th today on a total of 24 faults.

Martin Fuchs, whose four-fault round with Leone Jei was not enough following Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme’s eight and Pius Schwizer and Vancouver De Lanlore’s 12, said it was “definitely not the day we wished for”.

“I actually was very confident going in, believing that if it was a clear round we’d qualify for the final,” he said. “So I was highly motivated and Leone Jei felt felt great throughout the course; I really believed that we could deliver this clear round and try to save our chances for the final. Maybe I was almost a bit too confident in the combination when he jumped the planks [at 13b] so well. I didn’t focus enough for the c [element]; I was already thinking about bringing it home and not about jumping the fence first.”

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Top showjumper Peder Fredricson is among the eight equestrians who will carry their nations’ flags at the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony in the French capital tonight (26 July).

Five showjumpers and three dressage riders will have the prestigious honour of being flag bearers.

Peder, who has four Olympic medals to his name including team gold and two individual silvers, has been named as one of the Swedish flag bearers.

Paris is Peder’s fourth Olympic Games appearance – his first being in the eventing at Atlanta 1992, where he finished 14th, before his career change to showjumping. He was part of the silver medal-winning side at Athens 2004, then won back-to-back individual silver medals at the last two Olympics, and also helped Sweden to the team title in Tokyo.

This year, he rides the 18-year-old Catch Me Not S, the European individual bronze medallist from 2021. Peder will carry the flag alongside multiple medalist Josefin Olsson, who is competing in sailing at this year’s Games.

Fellow showjumper Jérôme Guery has been chosen as Belgian flag bearer, alongside top basketball player Emma Meesseman.

Jérôme will partner his experienced championship ride Quel Homme Du Hus in Paris, with whom he bagged team bronze in Tokyo, individual world silver in 2022 and European team gold in 2019.

Rising showjumping star Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi, who is competing at his first senior Olympics having won individual silver at the youth edition in 2018, will carry the UAE flag alongside cyclist Safia Al Sayegh.

Omar, 21, recently completed his final semester at Sorbonne University and helped the William Funnell-coached UAE side secure Olympic team qualification last year. He will ride the 10-year-old stallion Enjoy De La Mure.

Olympic veteran Ramzy Al Duhami, who rides Untouchable 32, is a flag bearer for Saudi Arabia. Ramzy’s first Games were in 1996 and he was part of the bronze medal-winning showjumping side at London 2012. He will be joined in the honour by taekwondo star Dunya Abutaleb.

Amre Hamcho will carry the Syrian flag, with sprinter and hurdler Alisar Youssef. Amre rides 15-year-old gelding Vagabon Des Forets, having secured his country’s second-ever Olympic equestrian place for Paris.

Pan American Games individual dressage gold medallist Julio Mendoza Loor, who won the Aachen CDI4* freestyle this month with his Olympic ride Jewels Goldstrike, will carry the flag for Ecuador alongside weightlifter Neisi Patricia Dajomes Barrera.

Lithuania has selected dressage rider Justina Vanagaitè-Samuile, who was understood to be the first rider to compete at a CDI5* without spurs when she took to the arena in Doha this year. She will ride Nabab in Paris, and has been chosen to carry the flag with sailor Rytis Jasiunas.

Dutch-based Moroccan dressage rider Yessin Rahmouni, who will compete in Paris aboard his Tokyo Olympic ride All At Once, completes the line-up of equestrian flag bearers at the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony. He is returning from injury, after breaking three vertebrae in his neck in a fall in March and was back in the saddle in June.

Yessin will be joined by golfer Ines Laklalech.

The Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony will start at 6.30pm UK time (7.30pm CET). Coverage will start from 5.45pm UK time on BBC One.

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All three of the riders – and two of the horses – who won gold in 2021 are named in the Swedish Olympic showjumping team as the country prepares to defend its title in Paris.

Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward, also the individual world champions, and Malin Baryard Johnsson and Indiana both jumped off for gold in Tokyo, and have been selected again. The final 2021 team member and individual silver medallist Peder Fredricson has retired the great All In but is in the squad with Catch Me Not S. The fourth combination is Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with Zuccero, who were on the team that won European gold last year.

The Swedish Olympic showjumping team go to Paris as hot favourites, as Olympic, European, and world champions. Sweden has won 11 Olympic showjumping medals including team gold in Tokyo.

Rolf-Göran is the oldest team member, aged 62, and made his senior team debut at the 1995 Europeans in St Gallen. He has contested 19 senior championships and Paris will be his sixth Olympics. The Games will be Malin’s sixth, Peder’s fifth and Henrik’s fourth. The final team of three will be decided at a later date.

Swedish Olympic showjumping team

Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with 12-year-old stallion Zuccero Hv

Owners: Holsteiner Verband and rider

Breeder: Hanno Koehncke

Breeding: by VDL Zirocco Blue out of a mare by Caretino 2

Henrik von Eckermann with 14-year-old gelding King Edward

Owners: Dufour Stables and rider

Breeder: Wim Impens

Breeding: by Edward 28 out of a mare by Feo

Peder Fredricson with 18-year-old gelding Catch Me Not S

Owner: Ebbar Berglöf

Breeder: Krister Svedberg

Breeding: by Cardento 933 out of a mare by Ramiro’s Son

Malin Baryard Johnsson with 16-year-old mare Indiana

Owner: Stuteri Arch

Breeder: Chloe Ruys and Christophe Van Turtelb

Breeding: by Kashmir Van Schuttershof out of a Animo’s Hallo mare

“We are incredibly charged,” said Swedish national team captain Henrik Ankacrona.

“It is a long process towards an Olympics and it is exciting now that we are approaching the championship. We go there to perform and we always aim high. But we know that everyone has to be at their best to make it all the way.”

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H&M Christian K, the international grand prix showjumper and ride of Sweden’s Peder Fredricson, has retired from the sport aged 17.

“A fantastic era has come to an end as it’s time for H&M Christian K to retire from showjumping,” said Peder.

The KWPN gelding, by Namelus R, first competed in young horse classes with Robin Ingarvarsson, before Daniel Svensson took over the reins in 2015 and produced him to CSI3* level.

Peder took on the ride at the beginning of 2017 when Christian was 10, and they jumped at their first five-star competition in Belgium that April. The pair went on to achieve a host of top-10 finishes around the world, at World Cup, Nations Cup, and Global Champions Tour competitions.

They were part of the winning team at the Rotterdam Nations Cup leg in June 2018, and three months later they were part of the silver medal-winning team at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA. In 2019 Peder and Christian were part of the Shanghai Swans, who won the Global Champion League Super Cup final at the Prague Playoffs.

Christian’s last international outing with Peder was on home soil at the Gothenburg Horse Show in February this year.

“He will now join H&M All In and spend his retirement out in the fields at home in Grevlunda,” said Peder.

“He is truly an amazing horse, nothing was ever too big for him. It has been a true honour to ride him and I’m very grateful for the career we’ve had together.”

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Jumping in a Longines FEI World Cup Final requires horses to be at the absolute peak of their powers, in prime athletic condition. The winner of this year’s renewal in Saudi Arabia (16–20 April), King Edward, is 14 years old; the runner-up Dubai Du Cedre 11. The average age of the top-16 in the final standings is 12 – which makes the achievement of the third-placed horse, Catch Me Not S, all the more remarkable.

Peder Fredricson’s 18-year-old finished second in both the speed and the jump-off classes at the finals leading up to the decider, where he lowered one pole in round one to slip to third overall.

“Charlie”, as they call him at home, was the oldest horse in the competition by some two years, and while most of his peers have long been consigned to the retirement paddocks, the grey continues to show huge zest for jumping these colossal courses. Many of his younger rivals looked weary by the end of five rounds of 1.60m fences, but Charlie looked as fresh as on day one. Peder believes the veteran, by Cardento x Ramiro’s Son, is “better than ever”.

“He can’t count how old he is and I don’t tell him,” smiled Peder after the speed class. “But of course it’s a different thing if they are 11 or 12, or 18. I make sure I move him around a lot but still keeping him fresh. I lunged him in the morning, then double lunged [with two reins] him at lunch. I don’t do much, just keep the muscles supple because I don’t want to tire him.

“I do it all myself, because at these shows it’s really important for me to see the horse, know the horse, see whatever you can do to make him feel good.

“Before the class, I don’t jump much, maybe four jumps to save him and keep him fresh.”

Peder also opted not to take him into some of the prize-givings: “He’s a very blood horse, he doesn’t like to stand still and he gets excited. It’s a long week and I want to save him from too much excitement. Tomorrow [a rest day] I will just walk him around, maybe lunge, but I won’t ride him.”

How Catch Me Not spends his downtime

Back home in Sweden, Peder makes sure Charlie is given the best possible chance of recovering from his exertions.

“When they get older, they need a longer break after shows, so I just leave him completely alone,” he said. “For one week, he just goes out in the field with a friend, resting. I always give him a long break after a show, and then slowly I start to work him.

“At his age, I don’t need to teach him new things, it’s the same with humans and horses. When they get older, they have the fitness, so I don’t need to get him fit, but I need to train him to stay explosive, because the muscles get a bit slower. It’s the same with me, I used to go to the gym and lift weights, but now I train jumps to keep my body quick and explosive. Him also, I basically jump a lot of small grids, bounces, nothing high – to keep him flexible and explosive. Not hard work, very light, to keep the body fresh and quick.”

Catch Me Not was spring-heeled all week, as fresh as a horse half his age. And there are other advantages of riding a veteran who is still feeling in the prime of life.

“For a World Cup Final, it’s really handy to have an experienced horse and we know each other so well,” said Peder.

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King Edward added yet another jewel to his gleaming crown by successfully defending his showjumping World Cup Final title with Henrik von Eckermann. At the end of three days of jumping in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, King Edward was the only horse to go through the three classes without lowering a single pole. He won the speed class, he won the jump-off class and on the final night (20 April), he won the two-round decider.

As the only pair to finish on a clean sheet, this valiant chestnut was spared of a jump-off as the outright winner. He is the first horse to win back-to-back World Cups since Shutterfly triumphed in 1998/1999, and joins an illustrious list that also includes Milton and ET.

But it was not plain sailing, as Henrik fell off in the warm-up.

“I’ve been second a few times lately and I am sick of that, and so I thought yesterday in the jump-off I will not be second again, so maybe I exaggerated that and paid the price today because it was not as smooth,” said the world number one. “Once again, King Edward has done a championship jumping clear every day, he is amazing, and felt even better than he did in Omaha last year.

“It was a long week, and I feel empty now, like someone has pulled the plug out! It is pressure but I like to be in pole position so I can focus on myself, and not hope the others have faults.”

France’s Julien Epaillard had a fantastic “dress rehearsal” for his home Olympics, with his chestnut mare Dubai Du Cedre, a daughter of former three-time World Cup winner Baloubet Du Rouet.

“My mare has already done the European Championships, and been great in Prague and Geneva, so I came here with the plan to be on the podium but also to get to know her better before the Olympics,” said Julien, who had four faults in both previous classes. “Today the two rounds were superb, really relaxed. She has a lot of energy, which is good when she is with me, and today she gave me her all.”

Peder Fredricson was a trifle unlucky to be third with Catch Me Not S, the 18-year-old stallion whose appetite for these colossal courses has never wavered. Having been runner-up to Henrik in both the previous classes, they knocked a rail in the first round here which dropped them a place.

“I am really proud of him,” said Peder. “He was in good shape coming here and kept his form really well. I double lunged him this morning and could see he was moving great. The first course tonight didn’t suit him as it started with uprights, but the second course you could pick up a good canter straight away and I knew it would suit him.”

How the showjumping World Cup Final played out

Henrik was in pole position for the decider after winning the first two legs. This meant he’d earned the right to jump last of the 27 forward in the first round, and had a two-fault advantage over his compatriot Peder. Julien was lying third, another four faults behind.

The first two riders into the ring, 19-year-old Zain Shady Samir and 22-year-old Stanford student Sophia Siegel elected to retire after a scattering of poles. Designer Frank Rothenberger had evidently set a test. But Saudi rider Abdullah Alsharbatly brought the partisan crowed to their feet as as he jumped the first clear round of the contest. He did notch a time-fault, and it wasn’t until the 12th rider into the ring – Max Kühner and EIC Up To Jacco Blue – that anyone posted a clean zero. This moved Max up from 16th to ninth for round two.

The three British riders were all sitting in the prize money at this stage, with Scott Brash 11th, Jessica Mendoza 10th and Ben Maher sixth. Scott jumped a super-calm clear on a very keen Hello Valentino, clocking a time-fault but moving up to eighth ahead of the final round. Jessica had two down with I-Cap CL Z to drop three places to 13th, while Ben’s delightfully clean round on Dallas Vegas Batilly kept him in sixth.

“She jumped incredible today, and she’s felt great all week, but I’d been hoping for more,” said Ben. “I took a bit of a risk the first day to try to win, and it didn’t quite pay off. Then in the middle day she had an uncharacteristic fault and I was frustrated with myself. This week has been a bit of a fact-finding mission ahead of the Olympics, and we need to work on a few things.”

Once the in-form riders at the top of the order took to the course, the clears quickly racked up, with only one from the top seven faulting, making 10 in total. This was Catch Me Not S, who lowered his first pole of the week, and slipped from second to joint third with Kent Farrington (Greya).

There was a brief moment of jeopardy shortly before Henrik’s first round when King Edward refused in the warm-up, dumping his rider on the sand. But after some thorough checks, fiddling with his boots and repositioning the saddle, normality resumed. He jumped his usual clear, although a couple of rubs on the uprights hinted that even this extra-terrestrial may be wearying after a long week.

“Horses feel everything and King Edward is very sensitive, so when that mistake happened, I just had to say, ‘don’t worry, we have to stay calm and not let him feel that everything is not as it should be’,” he said. “We have been together so long, and I have the biggest confidence in him. What happened happened, but it’s the zero on the scoreboard that counts.”

The final round

Frank Rothenburger’s second-round track proved even more taxing than the first, with just six clear, including Saudi Arabian rider Ramzy Al Duhami on Untouchable, who sent the 3,000-strong crowd wild.

“I wanted to do this round for the crowd and my country, but I’m so proud of my mare, as indoor arenas are not her thing,” said the 2012 Olympic team bronze medallist. “This is a good boost for us before the Olympics which was the goal. This is the first time since 2012 that I feel really well mounted. She trusts me and gives me everything.”

Neither Ben nor Scott could capitalise on their first-round clears, knocking down two apiece. However, Ben retained sixth, and Scott dropped from eighth to 11th in the final standings. Jessica Mendoza had just the four faults to seal her first World Cup Final with 12th place.

“I didn’t expect it to go this great, it’s been and up-and-down week for everyone,” said Jessica. “I’ve had this horse since he was five and he’s my pride and joy. I’ve always known he’s had a lot of ability, but to go out and prove it is an incredible feeling.”

Scott said he’ll “take a lot of positives” home after Hello Valentino’s efforts.

“He has all the quality, the jumps are no problem but the rideablity has been a problem since day one, it’s a work in progress,” he said. “He just felt a little bit empty towards the end of the course but he’s never jumped this many big jumps in four days.”

Kent Farrington was lying equal third with Peder, but when Kent hit one and Peder went clear, it was left to Julien to keep the pressure on Henrik. Julien duly went clear, leaving Henrik with nothing in hand. King Edward certainly looked a little tired and again rubbed a couple, but he had his game face on, knuckled down and secured a momentous victory in this the 44th edition of the FEI Longines World Cup Finals.

After Patrik Kittel’s dressage win yesterday (19 April), this is the first time that two Swedes have topped the podiums at the World Cup Finals.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

With the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in the Saudi capital of Riyadh fast-approaching (16-20 April), the preparations are currently in full swing for 35 of the world’s leading riders from 19 nations with 42 horses between them. So who’s who among this year’s star-studded field of World Cup Final showjumping contenders bidding for a place in history?

Remarkably, the last British rider to claim the World Cup crown was Nick Skelton in 1995 with Dollar Girl. The three contenders flying the union flag hoping to break that duck are Ben Maher, Scott Brash – both of whom qualified from the Western European League – and US-based British team rider Jessica Mendoza, who gained points from the North American League. Ben will be in action on his top mare Dallas Vegas Batilly while Scott lines up with Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s super Swedish-bred grey Hello Valentino.

Meanwhile Jessica, who turns 26 just ahead of her trip to Riyadh, will be making her World Cup Final debut. She brings 12-year-old gelding I-Cap CL Z, who she has produced right up through the grades and with whom she represented Great Britain at the recent Longines League Of Nations at Ocala, Florida, alongside Ben.

Defending champions hoping to continue the World Cup dream

The defending champions Henrik von Eckermann and the brilliant King Edward will be back in a bid to retain their World Cup crown. After lifting the trophy in Omaha, USA, last year, the Swedish world number one said: “It was always a big, big goal and a dream for me to have my name on that trophy. This is very special.”

Henrik will be joined by team-mate Peder Fredricson with his 2021 European bronze medal-winning 18-year-old Catch Me Not S, with whom he also finished third in the 2019 World Cup Final.

Former World Cup Final winners Martin Fuchs (Commissar Pezi) and Steve Guerdat (Is-Minka) will represent Switzerland. This will be the latter’s 15th World Cup Final and the 2012 Olympic champion will be bidding for a record fourth victory again this year.

Among the other A-list names in action are another World Cup three-time title-holder, Marcus Ehning for Germany, with a relatively new ride, the 11-year-old Coolio 42, plus Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet on 14-year-old gelding Ace Of Hearts, Julien Epaillard who will be one of the favourites on Dubai Du Cedre, with Kent Farrington lining up for USA. Kent is one of a handful of riders bringing two horses, the 10-year-old rising stars Greya and Toulayna.

World Cup Final showjumping debutant carries the Irish flag

Richard Howley was the highest ranked Irish rider in the Western European League, winning the opening two qualifiers of the series, and he will be Ireland’s sole representative as he makes his debut at the World Cup Final riding 13-year-old Equine America Consulent De Prelet Z, who he co-owns with Sarah Borthwick and his and his wife Morgan Kent’s HK Horses.

“He’s so clever and he’s so smart, so it makes my job easier because he’s so talented,” says Richard of the gelding. “I don’t think he’s even fully found himself yet – I still think he has more to give. So we’re just trying to find a bit of middle ground of consistency and trust in the partnership. I think the world of him, and my owner Sarah Borthwick and myself think this horse could give everything. But we’re just trying to get the best out of him.”

The Arab League is represented by five athletes, with three riders from the host nation Saudi Arabia qualifying with strong performances in the Middle Eastern sub-league. Seasoned World Cup veteran and Olympic medallist Ramzy Al Duhami brings Addressee and Untouchable 32, while 25-year-old Khaled Almobty rides Jaguar King WD and the former Ellen Whitaker ride Spacecake.

Olympic bronze medallist Abdullah AlSharbatly rides 16-year-old Alamo, with whom Steve Guerdat won the 2019 World Cup Final and who later went to Spanish rider Sergio Alvarez Moya before Abdullah took the reins at the end of 2022. The pair have gone on to achieve five-star success, but he also brings 13-year-old Fiumicino Van De Kalevallei, who came from Dutch rider Jur Vrieling last year.

World Cup Final attracts talented crop of young showjumpers

Among the crop of young talents stepping out on the global stage for this year’s World Cup Final showjumping contest are 22-year-old French rider Jeanne Sadran (Dexter De Kerglenn), who enjoyed a successful career on ponies.

Canada’s Mario Deslauriers holds the record as the youngest World Cup winner at the age of 19 in 1984, and the youngest riders in Riyadh later this month will be US teenager Skylar Wireman on Tornado and Egyptian showjumper Zain Shady Samir with London Eye. Both riders are just 19 years old.

Skylar has been riding since a young child, hitting the headlines in 2020 when she won the USEF Showjumping Talent Search Final. Swedish-bred Tornado was sent to her as a sales horse but she bought him with the help of some family friends. Skylar is trained by her mother and 2004 Olympic team gold medallist Peter Wylde, and although she doesn’t normally have a groom – preferring to do everything for her horses herself – she will be supported in Riyadh by groom Alicia Thompson.

Another youngster is Egypt’s 22-year-old Abdelrahman Shousha who brings the 14-year-old Quincy 230.

From Balcormo Stud in Scotland to the World Cup Final

British showjumping fans will recognise the lovely gelding How Easy (by Talan, out of the Quite Easy mare Come Easy), who was bred and produced at Balcormo in Scotland by Sandra Low Mitchell. He went on to compete with Julie Andrews and Robert Murphy, but now competes under the Czechia flag with Sara Vingralkova, 21, a consistent performer at junior and young rider European Championships. The young rider also takes the 14-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Kas-Sini DC.

Sandra’s 91-year-old mother Jacky had originally picked out How Easy’s sire Talan in a catalogue as a three-year-old and has hit the jackpot using him with broodmare Come Easy. Both Sandra and Jacky will be glued to the livestream as they continue to follow How Easy’s progress in Riyadh.

“Mum’s had the thrill of following him the whole way through, we’re so proud,” says Sandra. “They’ll be the babies of the class, but I love the way Sara rides him –How Easy has landed on his feet with her.”

Sandra’s late father Dugald bought How Easy’s grandam in-foal along with another mare at a local auction and her offspring, Come Easy, has produced a string of quality youngsters, including How Easy’s full-sister Mytee Easy LM, currently jumping with Molly Andrews and Julie Andrews.

“How Easy did two shows as a four-year-old and won the four-year-old sport horse at the Highland Show, then we just hacked him about when he was five and let him grow,” explains Sandra. “I registered him when he was six and he immediately won a British novice, but this was just before my hip operation and this horse was too beautiful and sensitive for me to ride at the time – it broke my heart as he was so lovely, but I knew I wasn’t the right person to ride him.

“I kept a share in him but Julie Andrews did the next steps, then Rob Murphy took him to the next level before Sara bought him. He was always beautiful and they all live up to their Easy names.”

History in the making at the World Cup Final?

For Japan, the sole representative Shinichiro Sugiyama rides the aptly named Rising Sun, while from the Eurasian League, Nurjan Tuyakbaev hopes to become the first rider from Uzbekistan to win the World Cup crown. Angelos Touloupis of Greece (Lord Mexx) is among the entries from the Central European League.

This is the first time the World Cup Final showjumping has been held in Saudi Arabia, with a record-breaking 2.6million euros in prize money on offer at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

The first jumping competition begins on 17 April, continuing with round two the following day, with the winner decided on Saturday 20 April. You can keep up to date with all the action with H&H.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Peder Fredricson made a winning return to top competition, heading the Global Champions League leg alongside Stockholm Heart’s team mate Olivier Philippaerts in London.

The Swedish Olympic gold medallist was sidelined for two months with a neck injury sustained in a fall at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) in Stockholm (16-18 June), while he was warming up for a seven-year-old class on H&M Que Sera.

He was held in hospital for three days following the accident, which damaged blood vessels in his neck.

“It was a great feeling being back, I missed everybody and it’s great to feel that adrenalin kick again,” said Peder, who helped dominate both rounds of the 1.60m team contest.

“I feel good but I will probably go and put something round my neck now.”

The H&M-backed duo were one of five teams to remain clear in the first round, where Peder rode 15-year-old Hansson WL — who returned to competition himself two months ago after a lay off — and Olivier the 12-year-old Le Blue Diamond Van’t Ruyteshof.

“I’m really happy to have him back, he’s a fantastic horse,” Peder said. “He was off for a while and came back a couple of months ago. Stockholm was his first big show and then here.”

The pair switched horses for the third round, where all of the top three teams added four faults.

Olivier delivered a sensible clear on H&M Miro, while Peder switched to 17-year-old Catch Me Not S, who has a strong track record in this ring, having won the grand prix in London two years ago.

With pressure on Peder to make up the time, he took a risk with a tight turn into the double which meant the second element fell, but the gamble still paid as the Swede crossed the line more than 6sec faster than any other combination in the top three.

“[The horse and I] try not to think too much about our age and today it went pretty good!” Peder said.

The win elevated the Stockholm Hearts to fourth in the Global Champions League, which will qualify them for the semi-final if they can maintain their position.

“All year round we have been struggling for enough horses and riders to compete at the max level, now Peder is ready to go and he performed,” Olivier added.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Swedish Olympic team gold medallist Peder Fredricson has returned to the competition ring in style with a grand prix win on Catch Me Not S.

Peder and the 17-year-old gelding were competing on home soil at the Westcoast Equestrian Week in Gothenburg and took the win yesterday (30 July), having won the qualifying round. Peder also had a 1.50m win on the 15-year-old gelding Hansson WI earlier in the competition.

The show was Peder’s first back since he was injured in a fall with seven-year-old mare H&M Que Sera in the warm-up in a young horse class at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Stockholm on 18 June.

Peder spent two nights in hospital under observation and although nothing was broken, he had bleeding, and damage to the blood vessels in his neck. He had been due to ride in his home Nations Cup leg, the Falsterbo CIO5*, on 13-16 July, but Peder announced on 6 July that examinations had shown he needed more time to recover.

Peder said “it feels good to be back in the ring”, adding that his 2021 European team bronze medal-winning ride Catch Me Not S felt in “very good shape” after Peder’s break.

All eyes will be on the imminent team announcements for the European Showjumping Championships, taking place from 29 August-3 September. Peder Fredricson is no stranger to championship teams, with four Olympic, three European, and two World medals to his name. H&M All In, with whom Peder won team gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and at the World Championships last summer, retired from competition in February.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Olympic team gold medallist Peder Fredricson will spend another few weeks on the sidelines as he continues to recover from injuries sustained in a fall.

Today (6 July) the Swedish equestrian federation said Peder will not start in his home Nations Cup leg, the Falsterbo CSIO5*, on 13-16 July, as he “still needs to rest”.

Peder was competing at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Stockholm on 18 June, when he and the seven-year-old mare H&M Que Sera had a fall in the warm-up of the young horse class final.

Peder was conscious when he was taken to hospital, and spent two nights under observation. When he returned home on 21 June he said examinations had shown nothing was broken, but that he had bleeding, and damage to the blood vessels in his neck.

“There will be no Falsterbo for me. It is of course sad, but the medical examination today showed that I need a little more time before I can be back on the competition track,” said Peder.

“I will have another medical examination in a few weeks and after that we will know more.”

Peder Fredricson had been due to represent Sweden in the team event at Falsterbo, and will be replaced by Evelina Tovek. The other riders on the team are Petronella Andersson, Wilma Hellström, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Marcus Westergren, and Irma Karlsson.

The British team in Falsterbo will be siblings Harry, Scarlett and Sienna Charles, joined by Sam Hutton and Robert Whitaker. It is understood to be the first time three siblings have competed on the same British team. The first round of the Nations Cup competition takes place on 14 July, and the grand prix is on 16 July.

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Olympic showjumper thanks medical staff as he leaves hospital following fall

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Olympic team gold medallist Peder Fredricson has left hospital following a fall.

Peder and the seven-year-old mare H&M Que Sera had been due to start in the CSIYH1* final on Sunday (18 June) at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Stockholm, but the pair fell in the warm-up.

A spokesman for Peder confirmed he was conscious when he was taken to hospital, and H&M Que Sera was checked by a vet. Peder left hospital on Tuesday (21 June).

“H&M Que Sera took off too early for a fence and had a fall. Luckily H&M Que Sera was without any injuries. I was taken care of and taken to Karolinska University Hospital, where I was held for care and observation from Sunday until Tuesday,” said Peder.

“Examinations showed that nothing was broken but that there was bleeding and damage to the blood vessels in the neck.”

Following his return home, Peder said that under the circumstances he “feels fine”.

“I want to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude for all the support and care I have received in the last few days from fans, friends and colleagues. I also want to thank all the healthcare staff who have been absolutely fantastic,” he said.

Peder and H&M Que Sera had been enjoying a successful show, placing second in both CSIYH1* classes on Friday (16 June) and Saturday (17 June). Peder also helped the Stockholm Hearts secure victory in the Global Champions League competition aboard Hansson WL, alongside teammates Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Indiana, and Olivier Philippaerts and H&M Legend of Love, on Saturday.

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William Funnell’s Hickstead Derby memories: ‘One of the best horses in the world was galloping loose round the ring’

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Unshod hooves show increased widening and contraction, and so a greater range of motion, than those with shoes, a study has found.

The second phase of results from research into the impact of shoeing on equine movement has been released, showing that the internal movement of the hoof is affected by shoeing.

H&H reported on the project, involving top showjumper Peder Fredricson, vet Staffan Lidbeck and Lars Roepstorff, professor and researcher from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and sponsored by insurer Agria’s research fund, last year. The finding announced then was that when unshod, the movement in the hoof is “freer and larger”, specifically widening over the heels, and contraction of heels during the breakover. There was also more vertical independent movement in the barefoot hoof.

It has now been revealed that in barefoot horses, compared to shod, there is 50% more expansion across the quarters of the hoof, increased widening, and increased contraction during the breakover, and increased contraction just before the hoof hits the ground. It was also found that the inner and outer quarters have more vertical mobility in relation to each other.

“What’s probably the most important thing is to be able to quantify,” Prof Roepstorff told H&H. “There are things we know, they’re not a surprise, but from a scientific point of view, it’s important to prove it.”

Prof Roepstorff said it is important not to generalise too much. These results were from tests; using markers, video and motion analysis on horses working on the flat and over jumps, shod and unshod, to try to measure any differences in movement. And although they were very detailed, there were only eight horses involved.

“This is the foundation for further work; that was the intention of this pilot study,” he said.

“I also want to stress that we haven’t said whether what we’ve found is good or bad. Of course we can hypothesise that this increased movement is good for the health of the horse; we interviewed riders at the very top of the sport and they all told me being barefoot improves not only performance but the horses’ health. But this is important for future studies because we know what to look at.”

Prof Roepstorff said the team also found that the horses did not lift their limbs as much when they were unshod, so there was less flexion of joints, and the hoof spent more time in contact with the ground.

“If you look at human athletes, that’s talked about; having more time interacting with the ground to accelerate or decelerate, or turn,” he said. “That’s interesting. We also saw increased stride frequency; in a jump-off, the horse with the highest stride frequency can move faster. We can only speculate whether top riders like Henrik von Eckermann and Peder choose horses with higher stride frequency or if that’s part of riding without shoes, but it’s interesting.”

Prof Roepstorff stressed, as the team did before, that they are not saying barefoot is necessarily better, or right for all horses; each one is an individual and should be treated as such. Future work may help identify which horses are better unshod, or shod in a particular way.

Peder told H&H that those of his horses who are more comfortable shod have shoes, and those who are more comfortable without are barefoot.

“All extra information we can gain is interesting,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re barefoot or shod; the more we know about how the hoof works, the better we understand the horse. This is valuable for me as a rider but also for farriers, owners and vets; information and knowledge is the key.”

Peder said the research should be called the hoof study rather than the barefoot study as this is what it investigated, and that from it we can draw conclusions.

“It’s very individual from horse to horse,” he added. “There are lots of factors and this study doesn’t go into all of them; we were just checking what happens in the hoof. We’re not saying barefoot is better than shod, or that we should shoe this way or that; just looking at what happens. It’s like feeding, shoeing, everything; if you want improvement you have to try to learn how things work.”

You might also be interested in:

‘I saw the horses getting sounder’: first findings from study into barefoot v shod horses’ movement

‘I’m not a convert yet but we’ll see!’ how puissance winner came back barefoot to reclaim his crown

John Whitaker: ‘I’m giving barefoot a go – that it’s cheaper appeals as a Yorkshireman’

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

H&M All In has retired from competition aged 17 following a dazzling career that places him among showjumping’s all-time greats.

Peder Fredricson and “Allan” won back-to-back individual Olympic silver medals, at Rio 2016 and Tokyo, also helping Sweden to team gold at the 2021 Games.

Their achievements include being crowned European champions in 2017, where they also collected team silver, and being part of the world gold medal-winning team in Herning 2022.

Peder said a horse like Allan “who has given us all so much, should end his career on top”.

“Words cannot describe how much he has meant to me and to the equestrian sport. It is not an easy decision to make, but it is the right decision,” said Peder.

The Kashmir Van Schuttershof son, bred by Bas Huybregts, started his career with Nicola Philippaerts before joining Peder’s stable.

He and Peder were stalwarts of Swedish championship and Nations Cup teams, and won top grands prix across the world.

“I still have to pinch my arm to believe the great achievements this little beloved horse has done. I am incredibly grateful to have been part of this journey together with H&M All In and Peder,” said owner Charlotte Söderström.

Allan sustained a minor injury shortly after he won his European gold medal in 2017 and had an 18-month break from shows, returning with the Tokyo Olympics in mind.

“He’s an unbelievable horse, but if you saw him at a normal 1.40m show or in his stable, you wouldn’t say he was a superstar,” said Peder, after the pair’s Tokyo silver medal-winning round.

“However under these circumstances, when it’s really tough, that’s when he delivers. He’s so naturally careful, he’s really scopey, he’s really brave, he can shorten and lengthen, he’s just an amazing horse.”

A retirement ceremony will take place at Gothenburg Horse Show next Thursday (23 February).

You might also be interested in:

Six Feet Above, by Peder Fredricson

£26.50

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

‘I saw the horses getting sounder’: first findings from study into barefoot v shod horses’ movement

‘Every athlete’s dream’: Sweden, USA and Belgium reflect on their Olympic team showjumping medals

H&H’s horse of the day: meet awesome Alan, the barefoot double Olympic silver medallist

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Author: Peder Fredricson

Published: 2022

Available as hardcover

View now at amazon.co.uk

About Six Feet Above: Jumping to the top

This is the fascinating story of Swedish equestrian and Olympic medallist Peder Fredricson and his winding road to success. As a five-year-old he was riding on free rein in the Swedish forests and from then on everything was about horses. He worked as a groom for the best equestrians in the world, lived on next to nothing and rode for a while with a buzzard on his arm. He was a skilled rider but not very interested in competing.

When he finally was persuaded to compete in the big equestrian eventing and showjumping competitions, he realised that talent was not enough – he had to rethink completely. He created a structure, both for everyday life and for competitions, and the outcome was almost immediate. After only a few years, he was one of the best showjumpers in the world. Much has changed since his unconventional childhood, but his attitude remains the same – interaction with the horses is what is most important. His mental focus has been his secret weapon in the major competitions.

Today, Peder Fredricson is one of the top showjumpers on the planet with four Olympic medals to his credit. In 2021 he was ranked the world number one rider.

Review

I’m always excited when a new autobiography from the equestrian world is published and Peder’s is, without doubt, one of the best I’ve ever read. The Olympic medallist gives an engaging and insightful account of his colourful childhood, his background in graphic design and previous career in eventing before achieving the highest accolades as a showjumper.

I learned so much about the likeable Swede – his honesty when it comes to his riding: “I do not come to the perfect take-off spot on every fence and I’m not especially good at cantering over ground poles” and the fact he was “really scared” before tackling the cross-country at his first world championships. But his relationship with his horses shines through and Peder shares his fascinating learnings from the likes Mark Todd, with whom he was based for three years, Franke Sloothaak and some of the classical riders he trained with in his youth.

I was fascinated by his pre-competition routines and management, his mental preparation, his switch to competing his horses barefoot and the surprising reason he swapped from eventing to showjumping. But most endearing is his partnership with the “exceptional” horse All In, and their journey of a lifetime together to the Olympics and beyond.

Verdict

As Peder says, “Winning is fantastic, but the journey to the goal is even more exciting – and meaningful” and this brilliant book perfectly reflects that. So many of Peder’s words have stuck with me and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

View now at amazon.co.uk

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The reigning world champions Henrik von Eckermann and his tremendous gelding King Edward proved unbeatable once again to win the 21st running of the IJRC Top 10 Final at the CHI Geneva in Switzerland on Friday night (8 December).

“This is a very special win for me,” said Henrik, who, with his gallant partner, the 12-year-old King Edward, will surely go down in showjumping history as one of the all-time greats and received a standing ovation from the appreciative sell-out Swiss crowd.

“This class was my focus after the world championships, it’s been a target for many years. But this horse really deserved to be up there with all these good horses [past winners include Explosion W, Hickstead, Hello Sanctos, Baloubet Du Rouet and Shutterfly] because he’s absolutely one of them. He’s an historic horse and I’m just honoured to be able to ride him.”

Ten of the world’s leading riders lined up for the 21st Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final in this prestigious five-star event and anticipation rippled through the crowd as each rider in turn was introduced to the crowd before one of the greatest showdowns in the sport commenced.

Course designers Louis Konickx and Gerard Lachat built two testing tracks which snaked round the vast Palexpo arena for the 10 contenders in the IJRC Top 10 Final. Run in reverse order of their world rankings, USA rider McLain Ward opened with a snappy clear on Contagious, just quarter of a second inside the time. They’d made it look easy but then Frenchman Kevin Staut followed with an eight-fault round on the 13-year-old Toulon mare, Visconti Du Telman.

Dual Olympic individual silver medallist Peder Fredricson and the lofty grey Catch Me Not S looked to have taken the track all in their stride, but a glance at the clock revealed a crucial time-fault. Would that prove costly as the competition unfolded?

“He’s a quick horse with a slow rider!” smiled Peder afterwards.

We then had two clears in quick succession from Brazillian rider Marlon Zanotelli and the tail-swishing Like A Diamond Van Het Schaeck and Simon Delestre with the Hickstead-sired Cayman Jolly Jumper.

Ben Maher: ‘A bit unexpected’

“A bit unexpected” was how Great Britain’s sole representative Ben Maher described relatively new ride Exit Remo’s stop at the treble combination. Ben was last year’s winner when riding Explosion W, but he came home with a 31 fault-total with a rail added at the Rolex double, proving how quickly the time faults rack up after a refusal nowadays.

Faults followed for Harrie Smolders (Monaco), who tapped an airy vertical on a tight turnback, while there were groans as the phenomenal winning pair of Julien Epaillard and Caracole De La Roque came home on eight faults, before home rider Martin Fuchs (Conner Jei) also collected four.

As the number one ranked rider, Henrik was last to go in round one and King Edward looked better than ever, clearing each fence by at least a foot, giving us our fourth clear in round one.

Round two of the IJRC Top 10 Final accelerated into a brilliant finale, with tension building as riders jumped a slightly shortened course of nine fences in reverse order from the previous round and, with live interviews held with each rider after every round, the insight for spectators was superb.

Ben Maher and Exit Remo returned to tackle the new obstacles with real class and posted a spotless clear, to finish on their first round score.

“We came through that [first round upset], he’s a horse for the future and hopefully Explosion will be back in the team with these horses next year,” said Ben.

Julien Epaillard returned carrying his eight faults from round one, with the mare Caracole fighting for her head round a midway bend, as she so often does, and the pair met the distinctive “cow” fence too deep and had four to add.

Kevin Staut, a former winner and competing in this class for the 10th time, added a clear to his eight faults from round one, taking all the inside turns, and then Harrie Smolders replicated his quick clear to take the lead with a four-fault total on Monaco and put the pressure on his higher ranked opponents.

Peder Fredricson: ‘You have to risk it all to win’

Martin Fuchs dropped down the leader board with a tally of 12 faults in round two before the striking pair of Catch Me Not S and the world number 11 Peder Fredricson trotted into the arena, bidding for another clear.

“Of course I was a bit disappointed with my time-fault in the first round, but going into the second round I was really nervous to get a time-fault there also, because sometimes when you want to go slow you can easily add up to three time faults with this new rule [one fault per second],” said Peder and, having survived a lucky rub at the penultimate vertical, he nailed another clear, this time within the 60sec allowed.

“I knew it was possible to be on the podium with one fault – in a competition like this everyone wants to win, you have to risk it all to win and when your risk, a pole can easily fall down.”

The contest all came down to the final three riders on a zero score. McLain Ward set off with the bright chestnut Contagious at a great pace but just toppled the third fence from home to slip behind Peder.

“It was rider error, I should have just trusted my horse,” said the dual Olympic team gold medallist.

Henrik von Eckermann: ‘I thought, oh no I’m going to be second again’

Then came the familiar silhouette of the little chestnut King Edward with his tall jockey Henrik perched forward in the saddle as they rocketed off from the first fence and pinged over the fences. Henrik, who finished second in the class last year, set the target of a double clear in 48.42sec , but the Swede was left thinking his run to the final oxer was too slow, leaving him vulnerable to the final two competitors.

“It all went according to plan except the last line,” he explained. “I wanted to do seven strides but I got a bit close to the vertical at the second last and I didn’t see the forward strides so I had to wait for another one and it felt like for ever.

“I thought ‘Oh no, I’m going to be second again.’ But luck was on my side today.”

Pressure told as IJRC Top 10 Final debutant Marlon and Like A Diamond gambled everything, but they met the vertical two from home off an acute bend on a tricky stride, and the mare was in two minds whether to take off, then put down, crashing through the fence for four faults.

“I tried to be competitive but that’s the sport,” Marlon reflected.

It all came down to Simon Delestre with the huge striding Cayman Jolly Jumper. They flew round the track, but despite an absolute flyer to the last, the pair finished nearly a second slower than their Swedish rivals and a well deserved victory went to Henrik von Eckermann with his phenomenal partner King Edward.

“The owner couldn’t be here last year so for him to see this today is fantastic,” said Henrik, who as well as reigning as the world number one for the past five months, was crowned world champion and married his long-time partner Janika Sprunger in an unforgettable year. “He’s an incredible horse.”

Runner-up Simon Delestre reflected of Cayman Jolly Jumper, with whom he has contested Nations Cup and the world championships: “This is his first year at this level, his first time in Geneva, and he just keeps on improving.”

Third placed Peder Fredricson added: “It was a fantastic competition, good sport, top horses and it was really exciting to the last rider.”

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Making the headlines on the international showjumping circuit this week were a phenomenal Frenchman in the form of his life and the all-conquering Peder Fredricson, while Great Britain’s George Whitaker credits “going back to basics” with Martin Wood’s brilliant nine-year-old Peanut for their grand prix victory in the Netherlands. Here are just some of this week’s highlights, plus showjumping results.

A 1.92m six-bar thriller

At the CSI5* IFEMA Madrid Horse Week in Spain, Dutch showjumper Maikel van der Vleuten triumphed in the six-bar riding the 11-year-old Toulon mare Dywis HH (main image above). The 10 starters were whittled down to just two for the fourth round where the final vertical stood at a towering 1.92m (over 6ft 3in) and Maikel claimed victory with another clear while his sole rival, the world number two Martin Fuchs, picked up four faults on Commissar Pezi.

• Madrid six-bar showjumping results

George Whitaker and Peanut return to the top

Great Britain’s George Whitaker rode Martin Wood’s brilliant nine-year-old Peanut to victory in a hard-fought CSI2* Deurne 1.45m grand prix at new jumping venue Green Valley Estate in the Netherlands. The pair swooped home just 0.08sec quicker than their nearest rivals after a 13-strong jump-off.

In a tremendous few days of competition, George and Peanut (Barichello x Quasimodo Z) also finished runners-up in Friday’s ranking class and the 30-year-old rider also finished in the ribbons on Caroline Blatchford’s I’m Special Too DHH, a previous ride for his cousin Robert Whitaker, and jumped some lovely rounds with Louise McEvoy’s stallion Porsche, who is now off to spend some time at stud.

“It was amazing, Peanut jumped five rounds and didn’t have a fence down,” George told H&H, having used his last draw in the grand prix to his advantage. “I knew what I had to beat and there were only three double clears but there were some very fast times with a few fences down.

“It was a tough course, there were either killer turns or if you went round it was a bit far. But I know Peanut is unbelievably quick across the ground so I thought I’m not even going to attempt the killer turns, I’m going to get in a good rhythm, give it full speed and just make it as easy as possible for him, without overcooking it.

“The bogey fence was the double in the jump-off and half the riders had that down but then I knew I could go full tilt after that and it paid off.

“I always say with Peanut that if I’m in the jump-off I have a very good chance.”

George explained that, after picking up a few unexpected faults with Peanut the previous week, he’d gone back to basics and the results were clear to see.

“It was a bit upsetting last week and I was wondering what had happened, so I sat down with my wife Michaela and said ‘I think I’m trying too hard here, let’s go back to basics, to what we know Peanut is comfortable at, don’t overdo it and just get him confident again’. So I did some training at the show, got him working with me and he came out fighting once again. I was on a lot better form myself I think – I was riding better and the two of us just came together again,” explained George.

“Sometimes you can just try too hard. I know we can both do it, I just needed to find the right buttons again. Then it was just natural again. Luckily it was my week this week!”

• CSI2* Deurne results

Lucky new jackets help Peder Fredricson spearhead an H&M hat-trick

At the H&M-sponsored grand prix at the CSI4* Sweden International Horse Show, the podium was filled by three of the company’s sponsored riders. Peder Fredricson was crowned the winner riding H&M Christian K, while the Philippaerts twins also secured second and third in the H&M colours. Olivier took second on H&M Miro with Nicola in third riding H&M Luna Van’t Ruytershof Z, all separated by barely a second.

“We just got these new jackets and they seem to be working well!” said Peder on the trio’s striking competition wear. “Everyone should have one!”

Peder, who will be heading to the London International Horse Show next month, added of the 15-year-old gelding H&M Christian K (pictured below): “He’s a real fighter.”

The sole British challenger in Sunday’s feature class was John Whitaker, who just picked up four faults in the opening round on Equine America Unick Du Francport after some good placings over the weekend. Ireland’s Bertram Allen won Saturday’s speed class on the smart eight-year-old Empoli De Champloue.

Other Swedish riders in form at the show were the world number one Henrik von Eckermann, who secured a winning double with the 10-year-old gelding Hollywood V, and Stephanie Holmen, who triumphed in Friday’s 1.50m jump-off class with the 16-year-old mare Flip’s Little Sparrow. The show’s leading rider prize was won by Olivier Philippaerts, who took home a John Deere Gator HPX.

• Sweden International Horse Show results

Julien Epaillard is simply unstoppable

French showjumper Julien Epaillard’s astounding winning streak continued to the CSI5* IFEMA Madrid Horse Week where he galloped to a big-class double, winning Friday’s 1.50m jump-off class then also lifting the silverware for Sunday’s Longines FEI World Cup qualifier, which he also won the previous year, with two brilliant performances with the extraordinary 10-year-old mare Caracole De La Roque.

“Winning is always very difficult and a streak like this only happens once in a sporting career,” said the world number three, who won the third leg of the World Cup series in Lyon last month. “I have an incredible mare and I’m lucky to be able to ride her. I have to enjoy the moment.

“I’m very proud of Caracole. She has jumped two World Cups and she has won two World Cups – she’s amazing!’

Taking the runner up spot was Daniel Deusser of Germany riding Bingo Ste Hermelle, with Simon Delestre third on Cayman Jolly Jumper. Ben Maher finished best of the Brits in fifth, the fastest of the four-faulters riding the Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright-owned 13-year-old Exit Remo after an exhilarating 15-strong jump-off.

Italian rider Piergiorgio Bucci made a remarkable recovery from a serious stumble in the jump-off to finish fourth. His brilliant gelding Cochello just pecked on landing after the penultimate oxer, pinging his rider right up on to his neck and the pair looked as though they were about to part company. However a stride later, Piergiorgio was pitched back in the saddle and he kicked on, clearing the hefty final vertical without stirrups to finish with a double clear and earn a substantial slice of the prize money.

• Madrid Horse Week results

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

RESEARCHERS behind a study into the difference in equine movement when horses are shod and unshod hope to help reduce lameness and benefit horses and owners.

The first findings of the collaborative study, involving top showjumper Peder Fredricson, vet Staffan Lidbeck and Lars Roepstorff, professor and researcher from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and sponsored by insurer Agria’s research fund, were announced at the World Showjumping Championships.

Peder, who was won world and Olympic team gold on an unshod horse, said: “I’ve been riding my horses barefoot for a couple of years, and have found that barefoot, they’re healthier and have fewer injuries, so I think it will be very interesting to show why this is.”

Mr Lidbeck, who competed alongside Peder before he switched from eventing to showjumping, and has known him for years, said he was “sceptical” when Peder first mentioned riding unshod horses.

“But after a while, I could see with my own eyes his horses getting sounder,” he said. “He said he was a bit disappointed the veterinary community didn’t really care about this, and I was thinking about that. He’s correct, and I wanted to do something.”

Mr Lidbeck contacted Prof Roepstorff, who said he was happy to look into this “very interesting” subject, which also connects to his work on different arena surfaces. He added that the force on each of a horse’s limbs when landing after a jump are huge – “we’re talking tonnes” – so as well as the surface, the treatment of the feet is key to equine health and performance.

The researchers looked at previous studies, and then interviewed top riders, vets, farriers and others about their unshod experience.

“There’s no scientific knowledge about competing showjumping horses barefoot,” Mr Lidbeck said. “There’s quite a lot of scepticism. The normal state of mind is that horses should be shod; we don’t ask ‘Why do we have shoes on the horse?’”

The researchers then carried out practical tests; using markers, video and motion analysis on horses working on the flat and over jumps, shod and unshod, to try to measure any differences in movement.

“It’s important to say you go in without expectations,” Prof Roepstorff said. “The fun of research is when you find things you didn’t expect. But what you hope to see is a difference, and what the difference is.”

The finding announced at this stage is that when unshod, the movement in the hoof is “freer and larger”, specifically widening over the heels, and contraction of heels during the breakover. There was also more vertical independent movement in the barefoot hoof.

“It’s very interesting as we see a lot of injuries in the hoof,” Mr Lidbeck said, adding that of course the hoof affects all the structures in the limb.

“Everyone talks of the hoof as a pump,” added Prof Roepstorff. “If we see not only widening but contraction, it could be two things contributing to increased blood flow [to the leg], which is also important in rehab.”

More results will be announced when they have been analysed.

“One study can never find all the answers but we hope it will contribute to the first piece of the puzzle that leads to new knowledge,” Prof Roepstorff said. “This is a dream for a researcher! We got 480 recordings, with 38 markers, so there’s a bit of data to analyse.”

The team stressed the importance of scientific data and findings to inform best practice, and that whatever the full results, each horse and its hooves must be considered individually, as what is best for one may not be for the next.

“When you want to develop, the only way forward is knowledge,” Peder said. “Hopefully, with this study, we can make something better for horses.”

Agria CEO Agnes Fabricius added: “Agria has for years striven to reduce the risk of horses suffering from lameness. I have high hopes that we can get a result that in the long run can benefit more horses and owners.”

What do you think of the shod/unshod debate? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, and nearest town and county

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Sweden is in the lead going into tonight’s team final at the Agria FEI World Showjumping Championships, and for the first time, the Fredricson brothers are on the same championship team.

Both Jens (pictured) and Peder Fredricson are veterans at this level, but they have never before competed at the same championship. Both have jumped clear on the first two days of competition, helping put Sweden on a team total of 3.69 penalties, just ahead of France on 5.44.

Peder and his superstar H&M All In, with whom he won individual Olympic silver at the last two Games, as well as team gold in Tokyo, and individual gold and team silver at the 2017 Europeans, are in bronze position individually, behind France’s Julien Epaillard and Caracole De La Roque in the lead, and Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson in second place.

Jens and Markan Cosmopolit are in 10th place on 2.71 penalties, less than a pole behind the gold medal.

Peder, 50, said it was “fantastic” finally to be on a championship team with his 54-year-old brother.

“We’ve been riding together since I was three,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of other competitions, and I’ve done a few championships where he’s been with me on the ground just to help; I’ve been with him at a lot of shows, but this is the first time we ride together. It’s fantastic.”

Jens, whose 11-year-old Swedish warmblood gelding is making his championship debut here in Herning, added that it is special to be on the same team at last, at the World Showjumping Championships.

“My parents are happy,” he said. “They’re not here. They’re home and taking care of the kids!

“We ride, we do our own thing and we breakfast together; we’ve been riding for such a long time in our own teams, and I’m there if he asks me, or the other way round, but he knows what to do!”

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Competing horses barefoot – without shoes – has been a hot topic this year and often causes plenty of debate.

Several high profile showjumpers, including King Edward and All In, who were both part of Sweden’s gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics, have brought the practice into the spotlight and their respective riders Henrik von Eckermann and Peder Fredricson have spoken about the benefits.

“I just have a feeling he is more comfortable [without them],” says Peder.

But closer to home, we’ve noticed some of our national riders jumping their horses barefoot, too, so we caught up with one of them, 22-year-old Jessica Hewitt at the recent Arena UK Winter Classic (2-5 December) to find out a bit more.

Jess was riding the consistent seven-year-old Java in the show’s Blue Chip Karma performance qualifier and the pair powered to top spot, beating their 35 rivals by 0.25sec – against the odds.

“She was in the field, shoes off for a break and hasn’t been ridden for almost a week, but it was a last-minute decision to come here so I dragged her out of the field,” says Jess, who bought the impressive daughter of Stakkato after watching a video of her as a three-year-old. “She jumped barefoot, not clipped and still came out and won; she’s incredible.”

Jess does have Java shod at times and she jumped the six-year-old championships in Hickstead’s grass arena last year with shoes on, but she’s often jumped barefoot.

“Her feet are like rocks,” says Jess, who runs Mountain Bridge Sports Horses alongside Sonny Broberg and has been enjoying a tremendous run of form on the indoor circuit already this year.

Jess and Java also finished fourth in last year’s Prestige Italia Big Star six-year-old championship final held at Bolesworth.

“She’s so easy and quick against the clock and there aren’t many horses you could drag out the field to pay the bill at a show; she’s one of the rare ones, and loves it.”

You might also be interested in:

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‘I had no rein for the first five jumps’: bridle mishap in LGCT Super Grand Prix doesn’t stop Swedish rider winning

‘I will certainly remember 2021!’: Peder Fredricson seals vintage year as the new LGCT champion

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A rider who lost both legs in a terrorist attack and made her Paralympic debut in Tokyo this summer has been named winner of the FEI “against all odds” award.

US rider Beatrice de Lavalette said it “means everything” to win the award, which is given annually to someone who has “pursued their equestrian ambitions despite a physical handicap or extremely difficult personal circumstance”.

Beatrice suffered the life-changing injuries in the attack on Zaventem Airport, Brussels, in March 2016.

“As a result of the attack, I lost a part of myself and my freedom,” she said. “It took me a while to get through my sadness of losing my legs, losing my ability to walk, and waking up in a completely different life.

“Every time I get on a horse, I gain my freedom back. I get to ride a horse almost as everybody else. I get to ride a horse pretty damn well. I love doing it.

“Experimenting and doing different things with the horses gives a sense of power that I often lose being in a chair. So having that sense of freedom and that power back means everything.”

The award was presented by FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez and Belgian Paralympic committee president Anne d’Ieteren.

“The Against All Odds Award means everything”, Beatrice de Lavalette said. “The FEI stands for the highest standard of competition I can achieve, so being recognised by them is awesome and a true honour. It shows me that everything I have done these five or six years has been seen and people have realised how big it really is.”

Peder Fredricson, who was on the Swedish gold medal-winning showjumping team in Tokyo and took individual silver, won the Peden Bloodstock FEI best athlete award.

The 49-year-old world number one, who was unable to attend the gala dinner, said in a video: “I’m really proud and grateful. It means a lot to me, my team, and all my owners.

“Thank you very much to the FEI, to Longines for the beautiful watch and also to Peden Bloodstock for supporting the award. I would like to thank all the people who voted for me too. I’m also very excited to be number one in the Longines rankings. It’s a goal I’ve had for a couple of years.

“I always try to do my best and improve myself, my team and the horses, rather than beat anyone else. We all work really hard to keep the horses fit and healthy, to achieve these goals and win many medals. I’m also very grateful to my owners who stand by me and provide me with this good string of horses. Thank you very much!”

German eventer Greta Busacker, 19, who won team and individual gold at the young rider European Championships, won the Longines FEI rising star award. Her mother Ingrid Klimke won the best athlete award in 2019 and 2020.

“Words can’t describe how honoured I feel because there are so many young talented riders out there,” she said. “They work as hard as I do and I get to stand here. This is for my whole team, my family, my friends. Without them I’d be nothing.”

Greta paid tribute to her horse, 10-year old Oldenburg gelding Scrabble.

“With Scrabble, I’ve learned to be patient. When I stand in the starting box and the countdown is on, I know that I can trust him 100%,” she said. “He has such courage and never gives up. Our connection is such a strong bond. Thank you Scrabble!”

Sweden’s Marie Johansson took the Cavalor FEI best groom award, in recognition of her hard work and dedication in looking after dressage rider Patrik Kittel’s horses. Patrik and his wife Lyndal Oatley were there to celebrate.

“This award means everything to me”, she said. “It’s amazing that we grooms can also be a part of this gala. I’m so happy about all the people who voted for me, it’s such a big thing. I’m super happy and super proud.”

The 2021 FEI solidarity award went to China’s Equuleus Charity, which aims to support young, underprivileged students reach their equestrian dreams while completing their academic studies.

The award is given each year to an “equestrian development project or an individual or organisation that has demonstrated skill, dedication and energy in expanding equestrian sport”.

“I would like to thank, first of all, the FEI and FEI solidarity, who really care about what people do,” founder and CEO Michelle Wang Qiang said. “I would like to thank the Chinese Equestrian Association, who support colleges, students, and our charity, our partner foundations and Alex Hua Tin and his mother Sarah Noble.”

This year’s winners were decided by a combination of public and judges’ votes.

Also present at the gala in Antwerp were the 2020 award winners; Ingrid Klimke, Semmieke Rothenberger, Carmen Thiemann, Angelika Trabert and Ebony Horse Club, who were invited as last year’s ceremony was cancelled owing to the pandemic.

“This is the first time since 2019 that we have been able to celebrate the stars of our sport in person,” said FEI president Ingmar De Vos. “The global pandemic and the EHV-1 outbreak have been very tough on our industry, and I am pleased that we had the opportunity to bring together the community to celebrate these achievements tonight.

“This edition of the FEI awards is special for me, not just because it is being held in a city close to my home in Belgium, but also because it is the FEI’s centennial year. These awards, and the high calibre of nominees every year, continue to be a testament to the growth of our sport and gives us great hope for the future.”

You might also be interested in:

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

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The all-conquering Swedish show jumper Peder Fredricson has taken the title of 2021 LGCT champion after a thrilling battle which came down to the final grand prix of the season on Saturday night (23 October).

The Swedish sensation has recently been crowned the new world number one, he won an Olympic team gold medal and individual silver at the Tokyo Olympics, claimed individual bronze at the European Showjumping Championships and he can now add the prestigious Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) champion of champions title to an illustrious list of achievements from a vintage year.

Peder had been pitched into a showdown against Ben Maher at the 15th and final leg of the LGCT at the X-Bionic Sphere stadium in Samorin, Slovakia, as the only two riders with enough points to lift the title and with Great Britain’s Olympic champion bidding to land an LGCT championship hat-trick.

However, in an uncharacteristically high-scoring day at the office for Ben and his Olympic gold medal-winning partner Explosion W, the pair came home with 12 faults, passing the mantle on to Peder and his Tokyo partner H&M All In. They in turn went on to pick up eight faults in Saturday’s LGCT grand prix of Slovakia but had earned enough points to remain top of the overall standings and lift the LGCT championship for the first time.

“It feels good, I’m very happy!” said Peder. “I will certainly remember 2021 – it’s been a fantastic year. I have some amazing horses and I’m very grateful for the owners who have kept them for these championships and that they won this overall prize.

“It’s one thing to win one competition but to win this overall title proves you have to be good all season,” added the new LGCT champion. 

It was Peder’s team-mate, Henrik von Eckermann with the all-conquering King Edward, who claimed victory in Saturday night’s €300,000 Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of Slovakia after a thrilling five-way jump-off.

“He’s sensational,” said Henrik, paying tribute to the gallant King Edward after his winning round. “I’m also really happy with my performance but my horse deserved this.

“He has everything – quality and mentality, and he’s careful,” added Henrik, who catapulted up the leader board to finish second behind Peder in the overall standings, with Olivier Robert third for France and Ben Maher dropping to fourth.

The season concludes with the big-money Prague Playoffs which will host the GCL Super Cup and Super Grand Prix next month, where Ben Maher and John Whitaker are among the riders lining up for top honours.

Don’t miss the full report and more from the new LGCT champion in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound, out Thursday, 28 October.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Germany has taken individual gold at the European Showjumping Championships, to roars of delight from the home crowd, with Switzerland taking silver and Sweden the bronze.

Andre Thieme and his superstar ride DSP Chakaria had a fence in hand when they went last into the area in this final round of competition.

And as was the case in Friday’s team decider, the last rider needed that pole, as the 11-year-old mare just caught the 1.58m oxer going into the treble at fence five. But Andre kept cool and left the rest standing, to finish on a total of 6.84 penalties.

“After that fence, it wasn’t easy!” Andre said. “I knew I had one rail coming in but to have a pretty early one; I thought ‘Oh, Jesus, there’s a long way round from here!

“I just tried to stay calm, and have to say thank you to my horse, she’s outstanding.

“I always knew she was something special but it’s unbelievable she’s done this.”

Defending champion Martin Fuchs, whose rail down in the first round of today’s competition had dropped he and the nine-year-old Leone Jei to fourth, must have thought it was all over when, fourth-last to go in, he also caught that first part of the treble, giving him a total of 9.31 penalties.

But next in Ioli Mytilineou, the sole Greek rider who had had a dream debut championship so far, without touching a pole on the 10-year-old Levis De Muze, also fell foul of the same fence; a split-second’s mistiming on take-off meaning the stallion crashed through and could not jump the second part of the combination, so she retired.

Peder Fredricson and Catch Me Not S also knocked only their second pole of the European Showjumping Championships, which, with a single time-fault, put them on 9.46 penalties, to take the bronze.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Sweden continues its glorious showjumping summer by holding first place after the first day of competition at the European Showjumping Championships — while Germany’s David Will finished on top in the first class at his first championship.

David and C Vier knew what they had to do by their second-last draw in this opening speed competition, and did just that, knocking almost a second off the time of Swedish Peder Fredricson, who is fresh from his Tokyo Olympic team gold and individual silver.

“It couldn’t have been better!” David said. “It was a clear advantage to go at the end, but my horse jumped fantastically.”

David added that his aim had not necessarily been to beat Peder or to win; more to stick to his own plan for the course, ride a good round and be “somewhere near the front leading into the next day”.

“So to win was a big plus!” he said. “I rode according to my plan and I’m very happy with the result, and my horse.

“I was delighted to ride in my first championship in Germany, that’s really special.”

Frank Rothenberger’s track was a testing one, as befits a championship, with questions asked, and issues cropping up, throughout.

But Peder said: “It was really well built. There were a few big questions; you had to turn inside to the water, and there were two combinations in a row near the end, but he did a great job. He got the horses to jump well and be confident, and there were a few who made mistakes.”

Peder — who yesterday had said his 15-year-old ride Catch Me Not S was very slow and would not be in the running — had held his lead for 10 riders, pushing his team mate Douglas Lindelow, on Casquo Blue, into third place.

The result means Sweden is in the lead, with a two-point advantage over Germany, who have an even narrower lead over third-placed Switzerland.

Best of the Brits today was Joe Stockdale, who jumped a superb round on Equine America Cacharel with just an unlucky touch on the last fence to finish in 26th place. William Whitaker and Galtur are in 34th place, again having jumped a strong round, lowering just one pole.

Emily Moffitt on Winning Good and Georgia Tame on Z7 Ascot are in 56th and 58th place respectively with the team in 12th place going into tomorrow’s team competition.

Each rider, and team, carries forward penalties converted from their scores today to tomorrow’s class, from which the top 10 teams will go on to the medal-deciding competition on Friday.

You might also be interested in:

‘Every athlete’s dream’: Sweden, USA and Belgium reflect on their Olympic team showjumping medals

‘She was class’: Joe Stockdale boosts Great Britain’s hopes at the European Showjumping Championships

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Britain will be first into the arena in the first competition of the European Showjumping Championships this morning.

Today’s competition is a speed class, in which scores and times are converted to penalties.

European Showjumping Championships approx times: British riders in first competition

• Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot: 11am local time; 10am UK time
• Emily Moffitt and Winning Good: approx 11.24am local time; 10.24am UK time
• Joe Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel: approx 12noon local time; 11am UK time
• William Whitaker and Galtur: approx 12.36pm local time; 11.36am UK time

Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot (pictured) will kick off the first qualifying competition in the main arena of Riesenbeck International at 11am European time (10am BST). Breen Equestrian, Shane Breen and Team Z7’s 10-year-old gelding makes his senior championship debut here, as does Georgia, but the pair are no strangers to this venue, having finished second in the grand prix here last year.

Next in for Britain will be Emily Moffitt on Poden Farms and Neil and Heidi Moffitt’s Winning Good; the pair are also both at their first senior championships but were shortlisted for this summer’s Olympics, and have twice been on winning British Nations Cup teams. Emily and “Winnie” will be 13th in, at about 11.24am (10.24am BST).

Joe Stockdale and Joy Cocklin’s Equine America Cacharel continue the campaign as the 31st combination into the arena, at approximately 12pm (11am BST). This is another combination of senior championship debutants but they jumped clear, with just a single time-fault, in the five-star Rolex grand prix at Royal Windsor in July, and double clear in the three-star Nations Cup in Denmark in June.

William Whitaker and Philip Tuckwell’s Galtur will be last to go for Britain, as the 49th combination into the arena at about 12.36pm (11.36am BST). William has competed at two senior championships; the 2017 Europeans and 2018 World Equestrian Games, and he and Galtur are seasoned Nations Cup performers.

Daniel Coyle and his own and Ariel Grange’s Legacy are first in for Ireland at about 11.20am (10.20am), followed by Michael Duffy on Katherine Duffy and HMF Equestrian’s Zilton SL Z, at about 11.54am (10.54am). Eoin McMahon and Madeleine Winter’ Schulze’s Chacon 2 jump at about 12.28pm (11.28am) and Mark McAuley on his own and Scea la Tuiliere’s Jasco VD Bisschop conclude the Irish campaign for today at about 1.04pm (12.04pm).

Defending European champion Martin Fuchs, and Adolfo Juri’s Leone Jei will be jumping at about 12.20pm (11.20am) and Olympic silver medallist Peder Fredricson, on Ebba Berglof’s Catch Me Not S, at about 12.46pm (11.46am).

Tomorrow is the first of two days of team competition; the top 10 at the close of play tomorrow will progress to Friday’s medal decider.

You might also be interested in:

How to watch the European Showjumping Championships live – your full guide for 2021

European Showjumping Championships: medal predictions and ones to watch

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In a thrilling evening of top class showjumping, the Tokyo Olympic individual silver medallist and Sweden team gold medallist Peder Fredricson won the Longines grand prix at the London GCT on Saturday (14 August). But the biggest cheers of all erupted through the stands at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the gallant runner-up, Great Britain’s legendary rider John Whitaker.

Six riders made it through to the jump-off and the first three riders all faulted as the tempo increased considerably – Nicola Philippaerts and his “hot mare” Katanga VH Dingeshof, Gregory Wathelet (Faut-Il Des 7 Vallons) and Christian Ahlmann with his wife Judy-Ann Melchior’s home-bred Clintrexo Z.

The first clear came from Niels Bruynseels, one of three formidable Belgian riders to go against the clock, riding Ilusionata Van’t Meulenhof – a former ride for William Whitaker – in 39.44sec.

But hot on his heels was the 2021 GCT championship leader Peder Fredricson riding Catch Me Not S, who opened up down to the final vertical to flash across the finish line in 37.93sec.

It all came down to the final rider of the evening, 66-year-old John Whitaker riding the 13-year-old gelding Unick Du Francport (pictured below) and he had the full support of the home crowd behind him.

This pair have been jumping better than ever recently and they motored round the 1.60m track but, says John, the gelding just spends a bit of time in the air over the obstacles and despite a wave of cheers willing them faster, they soared home just 0.14sec slower than the Swedish rider to take the runner-up spot.

“He was there to beat – I could have beaten him – I just didn’t get the right side of him,” said John, who celebrated his 66th birthday last week. “My horse did everything I asked, he jumped perfect.”

But what a thrilling jump-off it was in the feature class of the London GCT and champagne blasted off the podium as the top three riders celebrated in style.

Peder Fredricson, who has been selected for the European Championships with Catch Me Not S, said afterwards: “I was over the moon with the Olympics and normally you go to a show the next week you end up down on the ground again, but I’m still flying!

“When you have a Whitaker behind you, you never think you’ve done enough and it was really close, but I’m happy to come out on this side of the victory today.”

With Peder already having won the Stockholm leg of the Global Champions Tour this season, the golden ticket to the Super Grand Prix in Prague in November falls to John Whitaker, who will now make his debut at this end-of-season finale.

“It’s exciting,” said John. “The past two years have been weird with Covid and I’ve been going round three-stars trying to climb the ladder a bit to get to the bigger shows. So to get in here and do really well, has boosted my moral – I’m really pleased. To come to this show with the best riders in the world and beat them or hold my own with them, it’s good for moral, it’s good for everything.”

The London GCT concludes on Sunday (15 August).

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Ben Maher to spearhead parade of Olympic medallists at London Global Champions Tour on Sunday

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Olympic champion Ben Maher will be joined by his Tokyo teammates as they take on the world’s best at the London leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT).

The ninth leg of the 2021 tour will take place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea from Friday to Sunday (13-15 August), featuring riders from 18 countries.

Ben Maher, Holly Smith, Harry Charles and Scott Brash will be joined by fellow Brits including John, Robert and Ellen Whitaker, Emily Moffitt and Laura Renwick. Olympic team gold medallists Henrik von Eckermann and Peder Fredricson from Sweden, team silver medal-winning US rider Laura Kraut, and Belgium’s team bronze medal-winning riders Pieter Devos and Gregory Wathelet are among those also taking part.

A GCT spokesman said the “great duel” between Ben and Scott will be played out at the prestigious venue with both riders “hungry” to add another London GCT grand prix win to their accolades. Scott won the competition in 2014, 2017 and 2018, while Ben was victorious in 2019.

“In previous years, it has been a two-horse race to the finish, with Brash and Maher vying for the top spot in front of passionate home crowds with excitement until the final fence,” he said.

“Historically, the London event has seen five British winners in the six times it has been held but this year with six of the current Olympic medallists present will an international superstar buck the trend and take a win on British soil?”

Winners of the grand prix will qualify for the LGCT super grand prix at GC Prague Playoffs in November. If the winner has already qualified, the ticket will pass down the line. Ben and Scott have already qualified.

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“It was an amazing crowd, especially when the Swedish guys ride they really get behind them and it’s great to

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The riders from Sweden’s Olympic showjumping gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo Games have described the victory as a “dream come true”.

Peder Fredricson and All In, Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Indiana, and Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward clinched the gold in a tense jump-off against McLain Ward and Contagious, Laura Kraut and Baloutine and Jessica Springsteen and Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve for the USA.

Peder, the final Swedish rider to jump, said coming to the last he “did what he could”.

“The pressure was on, my god. It’s not that you don’t want a silver, but in these situations when you are two teams, you really want to win,” he said.

“McLain [Ward] was fast but All In is also fast. I saw [McLain’s] round, and I knew what I had to do. Today the poles stayed up and the time was on my side this time.

“It’s unbelievably satisfying. I really think my horse deserves it. I’m so happy for him, his owner, his groom, my teammates – it’s a great feeling.”

Peder, who also claimed individual silver earlier in the week, said a lot of mental preparation took place ahead of the Games.

“It’s a bit like running a marathon; you have to train and physically be fit – and it’s the same with the mental pressure, you have to be prepared,” he said. “You can’t lie on the sofa, then show up and do it, it’s a lot of hard work.”

Malin said to win an Olympic gold medal is “every athlete’s dream”.

“We have a team behind us that’s incredible; everyone is involved in this medal. The way we have ridden shows how confident we’ve been and they’ve all made it possible for us to totally focus on what we had to do in there,” she said.

Henrik von Eckermann missed out on an individual medal with King Edward on Wednesday (4 August) and said taking the team gold was “even more special now”.

“It was frustrating [placing fourth individually], but I’m so happy with myself. I took myself together and said ‘leave what I can’t change behind me and focus on this – we have an unbelievable chance’.” said Henrik.

“No one can say we didn’t deserve it. Somehow when we went into the jump-off we felt so prepared.”

King Edward was the only horse in the Olympic showjumping competition to produce clears in every round.

“They should have two medals – one for the horse,” he said. “He’s a tribute to himself, the way he does it, he’s unbelievable.

“I knew he had the possibility to do what he did, but to do it, is completely out there. It’s amazing. There’s so many people to thank. We had a fantastic team from the beginning to the end.”

Team USA’s McLain Ward said it was “great to be in the battle” with Sweden.

“Sweden has been lights out – it wasn’t unexpected here, but they took it to another level. We would have had to have had an incredible day to beat them,” he said.

“I think we pushed them right to the limits, and in competition when you push them to that limit and they still win, you’ve got to be proud.”

Jessica Springsteen, who was second to go for USA in the jump-off, said collecting a medal at her first Olympics felt “unbelievable”.

“Watching the last couple go, wondering if we’re going to have to jump-off or not you definitely start to get the jitters but it was also super exciting,” she said.

Laura Kraut added “this is what we do it for”.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of sweat and tears but I’m thrilled, and I’m so fortunate to have a great team,” she said.

“Kent Farrington [USA’s alternate rider in the team competition] has also been an incredible teammate. He was here supporting us the whole time and he was ready to step in if we felt any of ours were not up for the job.”

The Belgian team of Pieter Devos and Claire Z, Jerome Guery and Quel Homme De Hus and Gregory Wathelet and Nevados S took bronze.

Gregory said the team had done “something amazing” for their country: “Everyone is proud and part of it.”

Pieter said there was “huge pressure” under the new Olympic format.

“It will be an Olympics that will be remembered forever. You have responsibility towards the team so nothing can go wrong. We proved together we could handle that pressure,” he said.

“It was my first Olympics so I didn’t know what to expect, but I can say it was tough sport at the highest level possible. The course designer did fantastic job that’s for sure, and it was a fantastic venue.”

Jerome added he was “really happy“ with the team’s bronze medal.

“You represent a lot; all the people who work behind us, the country, horse sport in Belgium. We worked for it and it feels amazing,” he said.

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Sweden continued their dominance in the Olympic showjumping at the Tokyo Games, and looked almost in a league of their own during Friday’s Olympic team showjumping qualifier as the only nation to produce three clear rounds.

Santiago Varela’s track for Friday’s competition required bold riding and, with the new format meaning that there was no drop score for the teams of three, a total of three countries failed to complete, including a shock exit for one of the favourites, Ireland.

Sweden’s three-man team of Malin Baryard-Johnsson (Indiana), Peder Fredricson (All In) and Henrik von Eckermann (King Edward) had all made it through to the jump-off to decide the Olympic showjumping individual medals on Wednesday (4 August) with Peder and All In claiming the silver medal behind Great Britain’s gold medal-winning Ben Maher.

Then, under the lights on Friday in Tokyo, the trio once again remained faultless all evening, putting them top of the leaderboard after a gruelling team competition in the Olympic showjumping team qualifier, from which the top 10 teams qualify for Saturday’s medal-decider.

“Our horses have been unbelievable,” said Malin. “I think we all have the same feeling that so far it’s felt quite easy in every round in there, even though we’ve had to try hard of course, but they’re jumping so well – all of them, in every round.

“But you know, there are many horses jumping well tonight and we start from scratch tomorrow so anything can happen.”

Peder Fredricson’s outstanding equine partner All In and Henrik von Eckermann’s King Edward are both barefoot and All In, who also helped his rider win the individual silver behind Nick Skelton and Big Star at the Rio Olympics in 2016, retains his enviable record of never having knocked down a pole during two Olympic Games.

Peder said: “All In jumped great again today. Malin and Henrik are fantastic riders and we had three really good horses, but we also had, I think, a fantastic team around us – our chef d’equipe is fabulous, our fourth rider Rolf-Goran Bengtsson is amazing and he is a true part of the team, he’s really making us stronger, which is a very, very important part. It’s easy to think that the fourth riders are not too important, but in a situation like this is, it is very very important. And we have a good physio, a good vet, and all the people around us. I think is very professional, and I think that makes a big difference.”

Rolf, Peder and Malin were part of the silver medal-winning Swedish Olympic showjumping team in Athens in 2004.

“We’ve done so many championships together and we know each other so well so we’re a super tight team – especially now with these rules that none of us have any family here or friends,” he explained. “We are really tight in this group. And then of course it’s very important that you get along well and you know each other and you give each other space, but it still works out really good. We have a great time.

“But at this level you have to be 100% all the time, you can‘t get away with not being good.”

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While the equine star of the show in Wednesday’s Olympic showjumping individual final at the Tokyo Games was, of course, Explosion W, there was another horse on the medal podium for whom we will always have bucketloads of adoration – awesome Alan, AKA All In, the silver medal-winning mount of Sweden’s Peder Fredricson.

The 15-year-old gelding by Kashmir Van Schuttershof proved once again what a superstar he is on the big occasion when winning his second Olympic silver medal after a thrilling jump-off to decide the Olympic showjumping individual medals in Tokyo.

Back in Rio 2016, the pair had claimed the silver medal behind Nick Skelton and Big Star and followed up five years later in Tokyo with another tremendous jump-off round, only to be beaten to the gold medal by a British rider once again – this time it was the turn of Ben Maher and Explosion W to take the Olympic showjumping crown.

Peder and “Alan”, as he is known at home, also claimed the individual gold at the 2017 European Championships, staking his claim as one of the best championship horses in the world.

“I was trying to ride as fast as I could because I knew Henrik [von Eckermann] was behind me and Ben [Maher] and Maikel [van der Vleuten], who are some of the fastest riders in the world,” Peder explained after the final round in the Olympic showjumping individual competition. “It was a really fast jump-off.”

But while Alan shines in the ring, looks can be deceiving, as Peder explains: “He’s an unbelievable horse, but if you saw him at a normal 1.40m show or in his stable, you wouldn’t say he was a superstar.

“However under these circumstances, when it’s really tough, that’s when he delivers. He’s so naturally careful, he’s really scopey, he’s really brave, he can shorten and lengthen, he’s just an amazing horse.

“He’s a bit of a funny character though – he’s lazy combined with having a really strong sense of flight and every day he’s different. He has a lot of personality,” said Peder.

All In suffered a small injury soon after his gold medal in 2017 and ended up being out of action for 18 months.

“He had a bit of a break – actually a long one, a one and a half year break – with no shows,” said Peder, who brought him back into work in 2018 with the Olympic showjumping at Tokyo as their target. “I had this [Games] in mind and wanted him to be in top shape for this. We were running a bit late because of Covid and then the horse virus [EHV-1] so I was running short of time to get him competition fit. But I’d say he just came to his peak when he came here.”

What is even more remarkable is that All In, along with Swedish team-mate Henrik von Eckermann’s horse King Edward, competes barefoot – without any shoes.

“I just have a feeling he is more comfortable [without them],” said Peder, who took off his shoes almost two years ago. “He adapted very quickly to it.”

Alan, we salute you – what an incredible horse.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Germany’s David Will was victorious in the Longines BHS King George V Gold Cup on the final day of the Longines Royal International Horse Show (28 July).

Riding the nine-year-old gelding Never Walk Alone, the 31-year-old stopped the clock in a time of 43.73 seconds.

However there was a late change to the placings — locally-based Irish rider Michael Duffy and Mullaghrin Touch The Stars posted the second fastest time to cheers from the Hickstead crowd. But as the competitors prepared for the presentation, news filtered back that Michael had been eliminated under the blood rule.

This meant he dropped to fifth, with Sweden’s Peder Fredricson (Zacramento) and Fredrik Jonsson (Cold Play) moving up to take second and third respectively.

David said this was “definitely” one of his biggest wins.

“We were just talking about how there are really big footsteps to follow here, so it is very special to be on the trophy,” said David, adding he “couldn’t be happier”.

“This is only our fourth show together. I competed in Poland last weekend, where he won the grand prix, and I didn’t plan him for the grand prix here.”

He explained the horse he had originally planned to ride had a slight temperature earlier in the week, so he decided to see if Never Walk Alone would step up to the mark.

“It turned out to be great,” said David. “I thought he jumped both rounds exceptionally well. It is a very special ring and a horse has to really be brave to try his best — the water is spooky as is the double of Liverpools (rail over ditches), so I’m very pleased with how he went.”

Ground jury president Jon Doney told the press conference that ground jury felt there was “absolutely no intention” from Michael to harm his horse.

“Sadly there was blood on the flank and that is automatic elimination,” he added.

This comes under article 241.3.30 of the FEI jumping rules.

Article continues below…

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Paul Connor’s testing course resulted in five clears going forwards to the jump-off. Such was the quality of the international field that no combinations added a single fault to their clean sheets, meaning the final result came down to time.

Olympic individual and team silver medallist Peder Fredricson was first to go against the clock, completing the course in a time of 45.28 with his Hickstead Nations Cup-winning ride.

Team-mate Fredrick Jonsson was slightly wider on the turns to stop the clock just behind in a time of 48.28.

Best of the Brits went to sixth placed Guy Williams and Rouge De Ravel, who were unlucky to miss out on a jump-off spot as they clipped a rail at the double of ditches at 11a.

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Sweden’s Peder Fredricson maintains the gold medal position after the first round of the individual final in Gothenburg, having added nothing to his zero score throughout the week riding H&M All In (pictured, below).

However, the Irish riders are all hot on Peder’s heels going into today’s final round, in which the top 12 go forward, and we may see an individual Irish medal — or two — yet.

Cian O’Connor is sitting in silver having produced a beautiful clear with Good Luck, while Shane Sweetnam is in current fourth behind Dutchman Harrie Smolders in third.

Shane and Chaqui Z went into today’s final round holding the bronze medal in their grasp, however, an unlucky pole coming out of the substantial combination at ten drop them down the placings.

“The jumps are big out there, especially for the amount of jumping the horses have been doing this week,” said Shane.

“I am very happy with Chaqui — hopefully we have some more in the tank for next round.”

Continued below…

More from the Europeans…

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Denis Lynch and All Star 5 pinged the fences — albeit with the Irishman catching his foot on the wing of the flimsy upright at nine — to get another clear under their belt and sit in 7^th.

Rodrigo Pessoa, who is managing the Irish riders, commentated: “We still have one crucial round left to go, but the horses are jumping really well.

“It was a shame that pole came down,” he added following Shane’s unlucky fence. “He just rolled out of the treble a bit and just tipped the back pole but we were pleased with how he jumped.”

The final round in this individual final kicks off at 3pm UK time.

Check out all the results from the 2017 European Championships here.

Don’t miss the full report from the dressage, para dressage and showjumping action from this week’s European Championships in Horse & Hound — including analysis, expert comments, pictures and more — on sale Thursday, 31 August.

Plus, keep up to date with all the latest news from the championships via horseandhound.co.uk and the H&H Facebook page.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Nick Skelton winning the Olympic gold medal in Rio was somewhat distracting for those of us watching from the sofa at home. All eyes were firmly on Nick. And Big Star. And no one else.

Which meant we weren’t paying a huge amount of attention to Sweden’s silver medallist Peder Fredricson as he took to the podium. But now we’ve had time to breathe, we’ve realised we may have missed a trick there. Here are six reasons we are (just a little bit) in awe of him…

1. He’s no one trick pony

Thirty-four-year-old Peder may have clinched the individual silver medal for showjumping in Rio aboard H&H All In in August last year, but he made his Olympic debut as an eventer with Hilly Trip in Barcelona in 1992, when he finished 14th as an individual.

2. He juggles top-level sport and fatherhood with aplomb

Peder has three children (Carsten, Hjalmar and Bill) with his wife Lisen, who is also a showjumper. And he has high hopes for them — he’d love it if at least one of his children followed him into the sport.

3. He’s a hit with the public

Earlier this week (16 January), Peder scooped up the ‘Jerring Prize’ at the Swedish Sports Gala — Sweden’s most prestigious sports award for an athlete who has had particular success in the past year. The Swedish public cast their votes for the nominees — and Peder managed to fight off all the competition including one of the world’s best golfers Henrik Stenson.

4. He has a back-up plan

While most of us would be happy if our talents stretched to Olympic-level showjumping, Peder is also a graphic designer. He won a competition run by the FEI to design new pictograms for each of the seven sports the federation governs and he also designed the logo for the Sweden International Horse Show. Oh, and he is effortlessly eloquent, speaking German as well as Swedish and English.

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5. Model-looks

There’s a reason that Peder was snapped up to be H&M’s poster boy…

6. His horses come first

Peder’s horses can kick back in the fields at his stunning yard in southern Sweden, complete with sea views — and the stable walls have windows to allow the horses to interact.

Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Peder Fredricson in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (19 January 2016)

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Swedish chef d´equipe Hans Horn has revealed his team of Swedish medal hopefuls for the showjumping competition at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

The team is headed by Olympic silver medallist Malin Baryard-Johnsson and her ride H&M Actrice W. This combination was part of the Swedish Nations Cup team at Hickstead and Aachen, as well as the winning Nations Cup team at Falsterbo, Sweden. Recent results include third at the S Giovanni grand prix in Italy.

Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Ninja La Silla are the most experienced combination in the squad having won an individual silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. More recently, they won the Grand Prix at Arezzo in 2009, as well as placing second at Aachen in Germany this year. Individual medal hopes are not out of the question with this experienced duo.

The third team member is Peder Fredricson with the grey gelding H&M Arctic Aurora Borealis. Peder is another Olympic medallist and this combination were part of the winning Nation Cup team at Falsterbo as well as at Dublin, Hickstead and Rotterdam. Recent form includes 9th place at the Falsterbo grand prix and no doubt Peder is hoping for a podium finish in Kentucky.

Helena Lundback and her ride Bukowskis Erbblume take the remaining place in the team. This combination was also part of Falsterbo Nation Cup team and further form includes winning this year at Zeltweg Farrach in Austria as well as placing second at the grand prix in S Giovanni.

Alexander Zetterman, 20, and Isaac, who have been Nation Cup team regulars this year, are reserves.

• Read the latest World Equestrian Games news

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The oldest horse at the World Equestrian Games looks set to be 20-year-old eventer Stand By Me, representing Sweden.

The Swedish Warmblood gelding and Linda Algotsson were 11th at last year’s European Championships, when Linda said: “I’ll go on competing him as long as he’s happy”.

The pair has twice taken individual silver at European Championships — at Luhmuhlen in 1999 and Punchestown in 2003.

The other members of the Swedish eventing team are

• Katrin Norling and Pandora Emm
• Niklas Lindbäck and Mister Pooh
• Niklas Jonsson and First Lady
• Malin Larsson with Piccadilly Z

The sixth rider will be either Viktoria Carlerbäck with Ballys Geronimo or Dag Albert and Tubber Rebel.

The Swedish showjumping team has also been announced.

Swedish chef d´equipe Hans Horn announced the team after Paderborn CSI*** in Germany on Sunday.

The five riders are

• Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Actrice W
• Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Ninja La Silla,
• Peder Fredricson and H&M Arctic Aurora Borealis,
• Helena Lundbäck and Bukowskis Erbblume
• Alexander Zetterman with Isaac
• Read the latest World Equestrian Games news

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now