By Jean Llewellyn (press release)
Photography: © RathmannVerlag/Malina Blunck
There was hardly a seat left in the stands, the visitors were lined up tightly on the sides of the course and the VIP tents were full, as hundreds of equestrian fans attended the Springflut (Springtide) Festival in Hörup
Hosted on the Johannsen family’s premises, the VR Bank Nord eG Grand Prix saw 39 starters in this S*** class showjumping competition with one jump-off. With obstacles standing 1m50, it was a challenging task; only seven pairs qualified for the jump-off highlight of the program with confident clear rounds. And then it got really exciting! The pathfinder was the Swede Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, who had already won the Grand Prix in the Höruper Rund in 2022 and who was in the saddle of his nine-year-old Holsteiner Federal Champion and showjumping young horse world champion Caillan (Casall). The paid immediately jumped clear to lead from the front, and they did it, speeding across the finish in a lightning-fast 37.81 seconds. A time that the competition could not top.
What a success story for the Swede at the Springtide Festival. “Caillan is a very fast horse by nature. I had to take full risks because I knew I had a strong field of starters behind me. So nothing crazy, but still build up pressure,” Rolf-Göran Bengtsson explained with a smile and did not hold back on praise: “This is a great event here, even better every year, the audience is fantastic. I think I speak for all riders when I say it’s really fun to ride here.”
The now 62-year-old will be doing “a relaxed lap in Ehlersdorf” with his Holstein association stallion Zuccero HV next weekend before he sets off with the Swedish team to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Keyword ‘Ehlersdorf’, as this is also where it will be decided who will win the special prize of honor from these two Grand Prix classes. The horse-rider combination with the most points from Hörup and Ehlers-dorf can look forward to a Fiat 500... and Bengtsson wants to start with Caillan.
Jens Wawrauschek (Reiter-verein Balve eV) and his mare Mava S (Messenger) were the only ones who came dangerously close to the top time with 37.83 seconds: They took second place ahead of Jörg Naeve (RFV Kastanienhof eV) with his proven Benur du Romet (0/38.58)... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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