Abdel Saïd was for a long time the only one without faults on Arpege. For every team that stumbled on one of the derby's many difficulties, he got closer to a longed-for victory.
Then Guerdat and Easy Star appeared. Softly, elegantly, quickly and safely, the Swiss showed how to ride a horse over all kinds of obstacles.
The competition's second faultless ride meant a jump-off for the victory – just like two years ago when Guerdat won ahead of Saïd. This time, Guerdat could not match Saïd, who made a perfect round. When Easy Star also slipped in the grass, Guerdat was hopelessly behind.
"Very motivated"
I was very motivated today. I have full confidence in her and know how fast she can be, says Saïd to SVT, where he praises his mare.
A derby differs from a regular show jumping competition because more than just the jumping track is used. Falsterbo offers a passage behind one of the grandstands and a steep grass slope that the teams must ride down. One or two horses were not in the mood for that kind of adventure.
Jens Fredricson on Rose had a fault and came fifth, as the best Swedish rider.
– I had as much fun as the horse. It's a wonderful feeling. The atmosphere among the riders is more relaxed. It's not so finicky. I love jumping derby, says Fredricson to SVT.
Won the Nations Cup
Petronella Andersson, Amanda Landeblad, Peder Fredricson, and Henrik von Eckermann saw to it on Friday that Sweden won the Nations Cup in Falsterbo for the second year in a row. A successful rehearsal for Andersson and Landeblad, who are part of the European Championship team and will immediately after Falsterbo rush to the championship in A Coruña, Spain.
The international competitions in Skåne end with Sunday's Grand Prix, where the total prize money is around 5.5 million kronor.
Steve Guerdat and Abdel Saïd are two of several riders with the capacity to win.
