Five-year-old jumping trophy winner, Baloé HP (SWB), rider Arnold Assarsson (right), test rider Jeroen Dubbeldam (left)
By Hillevi Brasch
Photography: Roland Thunholm
The Swedish Young Horse Championships, known as the Breeders Trophy has been reinvented and launched this year as SWB Equestrian Weeks, featuring not only the young horses but also international dressage and national showjumping competitions. What used to be one week with all three disciplines competing at the same venue at the same time, was now divided up in to two weeks, with dressage week one, and jumping and eventing in week two.
The former Elite Foal Auction was also divided up in to two auctions; dressage and jumping. Overall a concept that was well received by both the competitors as well as the spectators.
Breeders Trophy Dressage
The immensely popular test riding event was once again headlined by Charlotte Dujardin (GB) riding the four-year- old dressage horses and Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED) riding the five-year-old showjumpers. This was Dujardin’s fourth time test riding at Flyinge – and the second time she awarded the win to a horse bred by Västra Hoby Stuteri. Last year’s winner, according to her commentary, “This is the best four-year-old I have ever ridden” was Springbank II VH (Skovens Rafael - De la Reinne VH x De Niro), who has made his mark worldwide as a popular breeding stallion as well as in competition and is certain to stay at the top for years to come.
This year’s winner was the elegant Swedish Warmblood Mr Grey VH (Grey Flanell - Darling II VH x Dalwhinnie), also bred and owned by Västra Hoby Stuteri, both horses coming from the same mare family of Elmarina (31), originating in the early 1900s and developed through the generations by the Hansson family. Mr Grey VH just recently arrived at rider/trainer Jeanna Högberg’s barn, and quickly made his mark with his impressive gaits and temperament.
The top three-year-old dressage horse, as well as the winner of the national mare championships, was Vita (SWB) by Glamourdale, out of Wizenca (Bocelli), ridden by Camilla Axelsson, bred by Lena Nyström and Stuteri Stubbäng, and owned by Moa Halling.
The five-year-old dressage winner was the approved Swedish Warmblood stallion Demand 1344 (Ampére - Delight x Don Schufro), ridden by Yvonne Österholm, bred and owned by Per-Arne Persson.
In the six-year-old age-group, the dressage winner was HeideBlumen af JBP (SWB), a mare by Don de Jeu, out of Heide Hannemarie (Dimaggio), bred by Jessica Lantz, owned and ridden by Anki Carlsson. This mare caught everyone by surprise as she had slipped under the radar earlier and showed up in excellent form delighting everyone with her gaits and presence.
Mr Grey VH (Grey Flanell - Darling II VH x Dalwhinnie) ridden by Jeanna Högberg, test ridden by Charlotte Dujardin
And finally the winner of the seven-year-old dressage Breeders Trophy was of course the hugely successful Swedish Warmblood Astoria (Sir Donnerhall II - Aquarell x Quaterback) ridden by Jeanna Högberg, winning the title for the third year in a row. Astoria was bred and is owned by Christina Olsson, and is currently in foal via embryo transfer to Bon Coeur (Benetton Dream FRH - Sonneschein x Sandro Hit)...To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
