Failed riding school horse leads European Showjumping Championships: ‘We’re going for gold!’

One combination who have shone from day one of the 2023 European Showjumping Championships at the San Siro racecourse in Milan, Italy (30 August-3 September), is Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit.

The duo took an early lead with the quickest clear on day one and haven’t touched a pole across three rounds of 1.60m showjumping tracks. On Friday (1 September), Jens and the 12-year-old Swedish warmblood “Cosmo” helped Sweden win team gold, in scenes of great jubilation.

Now, tomorrow’s individual medal decider awaits, and the pair go into the final day’s competition in the gold medal position, still holding their zero score from day one.

Jens described the brilliant gelding, with whom he also won team gold at the world championships in Herning last year, as “not 10 out of 10, he was 11 out of 10” after Friday’s third clear round.

But when he was a youngster, you wouldn’t necessarily have picked out the gelding as a dual championship gold medal-winning horse.

Markan Cosmopolit: early days at the riding school

Cosmo was bred by Soren Savgren near Stockholm and he was bought as a three-year-old for the Swedish National Equestrian Center in Stromsholm. He started his ridden career at the riding school there, where he was adored, but was considered far too “naughty” and too sensitive for the role.

“You could say it was a deluxe riding school – it’s where they educate all the riding instructors in Sweden,” explained Jens, whose brother Peder Fredricson was also part of the gold medal-winning team at the world championships – and at the Tokyo Olympics.

Students at the riding school produced the young Cosmopolit (Cohiba 1198 x Calida) as part of their development programme, and Jens competed him briefly as a five-year-old at the national championships. Jens saw the potential in the young gelding and took the reins in November of his six-year-old year.

Jens gradually stepped him up through the grades and, as a nine-year-old he really started to catch the eye. He won a three-star grand prix in Denmark, shortly before jumping double clear in Aachen to help Sweden win the Nations Cup.

The following year, 2022, was Cosmo’s time to shine. The duo finished third in the World Cup Final in Leipzig, helped Sweden win gold at the world showjumping championships and went on to help Sweden win the Nations Cup in Spruce Meadows, Canada, another of the toughest competitions in the world.

Riding western style at the European Showjumping Championships

This year, they finished runners-up in the five-star Rome grand prix and arrived in Milan, Italy, in tremendous form. The pair have been a joy to watch throughout the first three days of the championship and Jens is one of the most popular riders on the circuit and a brilliant horseman. But even he says he’s still improving, and he was surprised to find himself in contention as an individual rider for the first time at a championship.

“I’m riding better and he’s stronger and more experienced this year,” said Jens, who jumps Cosmo holding the reins in the western style of riding rather than the traditional English, to help with the gelding’s sensitivity in the mouth.

“I’m very optimistic for Sunday. I’m going for gold.”

So how will he be preparing for one of the biggest days of his life, jumping for a gold medal at the European Showjumping Championships?

“It’s my wedding anniversary on Saturday, so I’m taking my wife out in Milan,” admitted Jens.

The top 25 individual riders after the first three rounds in the European Showjumping Championships go through to Sunday’s first round of jumping and Jens will be joined by all three of his Swedish team-mates, Wilma Hellstrom (Cicci BJN), Henrik von Eckermann (Iliana) and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson on Zuccero, as well as Steve Guerdat (Dynamix De Belheme) for Switzerland, Michael Duffy of Ireland on Cinca 3, and Ben Maher (Faltic HB) for Great Britain.

You may also be interested to read…

Medals decided, Ireland’s super silver and a last-minute bridle change – all you need to know from the European Championships team finals

‘A really disappointing championship’: British team riders share their final thoughts on European Showjumping Championships

‘It was an uphill task, but I’m so proud’: sensational silver for Ireland at European Showjumping Championships

‘I feel confident’: Ben Maher in individual medal contention ahead of Europeans final

‘It doesn’t get better than this’: Sweden make history to reign as Olympic, world and European showjumping champions

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