After hate and threats that the title sponsor was from the United Arab Emirates, Falsterbo Horse Show was forced to back down. Much of the criticism has revolved around the country's view of women and lack of human rights.
But whether it was the right decision is something Wannius does not want to comment on until he has evaluated the process in peace and quiet.
We must look at this in an investigation. What did we do right and what did we do wrong? And how could this happen in our country when it has not happened in any other country?
Falsterbo feeling unchanged
When Falsterbo Horse Show is organized for the first time since the storm of criticism, Wannius thinks that most things are the same. He has not been able to see any major negative impact on either the number of visitors or exhibitors. Two sponsors have jumped off, but if he himself gets to evaluate the situation, the so-called "Falsterbo feeling" is completely unchanged.
Wannius says that he respects the criticism, which culminated in March, to a hundred percent, even if he has difficulty understanding it.
It became too much and in the end, both I and Sheikha Fatima thought it was enough. You can get enough hate and threats.
"Treated differently"
Wannius does not want to comment on the threats more than that he has not reported them to the police.
Sometimes there have also been well-founded views. What I have difficulty understanding is this incredible hate. It was not that I had not done my homework. Before we signed the agreement, I talked to several other organizers. The largest in the UK has had this sponsor for seven, eight years. They also sponsor the German association's largest young horse competition.
The criticism in the form of sports washing, which Olof Lundh raised in a column in Dagens Industri, he also has difficulty understanding.
I can know roughly as much about Pakistani cricket as I think Olof Lundh can about equestrian events. It's very easy to say that someone is engaged in "sports washing", but when it comes to "business" it's a completely different thing. The sports industry is treated in a completely different way than ordinary Swedish companies that trade with these countries.
