Super Swedes lead the teams, Germany’s Will wins opening Speed class

With three fast and fabulous clear rounds, the newly-crowned Olympic champions from Sweden established the lead in the opening Speed class at the Longines FEI Jumping European Championships 2021 in Riesenbeck, Germany today.

But Peder Fredricson (Catch Me Not), Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (Ermindo W), Douglas Lindelow (Casquo Blue) and Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli (Kalinka van de Nachtegaele) have only a narrow two-point advantage over the hosts from Germany going into tomorrow’s first round of the team competition, while the Swiss are even closer behind in third.

Fredricson, 54th to go of the 68 starters, was winning the class with Catch Me Not S in a time of 72.58 until Germany’s David Will, second-last into the ring with C Vier, blew that away with a brilliant tour of the 13-fence track in 71.66 seconds to put the result beyond doubt.

In the Team rankings The Netherlands in fourth are followed by France, the defending champions from Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Norway,  Austria and Turkey in that order overnight. 

Sweden’s Lindelow lies third individually ahead of Frenchman Olivier Robert (Vivaldi des Meneaux) in fourth and defending individual champion Martin Fuchs from Switzerland (Leone Jei) in fifth.

Results here 

FEI press release by L.Parkes

Image@IJRC/F.Petroni