16-year-old stallion Hansson can still. Thursday evening's second place in the opening jumping class at Sweden's international horse show showed that the hardworking old pair can still deliver.
Then they had to settle for second place.
In Friday afternoon's 1.45-meter jumping, the faultless round and the time of 60.72 seconds were enough for victory all the way.
But it was close. National team colleague Henrik von Eckermann did what he could to snatch it from Fredricson. The world number one (28 months in a row) pushed 11-year-old Calizi hard.
When the clock stopped, the pair was only five hundredths of a second too slow, perhaps because von Eckermann chose to take one too many strides on the mare.
When Henrik is behind, it's (five hundredths) a lot, says Fredricson jokingly in the victory interview on TV4 play.
You think when you're riding the course if you can take out a stride here or there. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but today it did.
Belgian Jérôme Guery on Hoselinde broke into the Swedish dominance and came third, followed by Malin Baryard Johnsson/Diamantino and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson/Caillan.
Tonight's class raises the bars a notch, with a 1.50-meter jumping awaiting, the second-toughest in the competitions at Strawberry arena.
On Sunday, Sweden's Grand Prix will be ridden, the most prestigious jumping competition and the one that gives the most ranking points and has the largest prize money.
