Facts, figures and quotes after the European Championships

Facts, figures and quotes after the European Championships

Facts and Figures:



Today’s newly-crowned European individual gold medallist, Sweden’s Peder Fredricson, has also competed in Eventing at Olympic and World Championship level.



Fredricson has won Sweden’s 2nd individual European Jumping gold - Rolf Goran Bengtsson took the title with Ninja la Silla in Madrid (ESP) in 2011.



25 horse-and-rider combinations from 7 nations - Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden - competed in the Individual Jumping Final including some from outside the top-25 due to withdrawals.



2 rounds of jumping over 2 different courses designed by Belgium’s Louis Konickx. First-round course of 12 fences included open water, second course of 10 fences included triple combination with water trays.



123,500 spectators at Ullevi Stadium throughout the week at the Longines FEI European Championships.



Quotes:



Peder Fredricson SWE (Gold): “I knew I was going to be under pressure when I came here, but riding in a Championship in Sweden in front of this crowd has been amazing. Ever since I arrived and unloaded my horse a week ago everybody I met said “best of luck, I hope you win!”. It’s been a long week and this has been my goal for the whole week but at the same time I knew I had only one thing to do - go in and jump clear inside the time!”



Harrie Smolders NED (Silver): “After the first day I was in almost an impossible position for a medal but I knew from other championships that with five or six points you are often on the podium and I also knew that my horse gets only better when it’s bigger. He had a really good feeling also on the first day so I knew he could do it, and he showed it now to everybody. He has blood but he is a little slow in his movement and he’s very, very scopey and he’s very consistent the last two years. He has jumped so many clear rounds all over the world, and in different circumstances, so I had a good feeling before this championship.”



Talking about Gothenburg as a successful venue since he also finished second at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final 2016 in the same Swedish city:



“Yes I’m very consistent in my results here actually! I wish it was one place higher but I’m very satisfied, especially if you see after the first day that the smallest class was the most difficult for my horse, but he performed very well and I’m very happy for the owners who have given me the chance to show what we can do.”



Peder Fredricson SWE (Gold) talking about his horse All In: “I bought him when he was seven years old, I saw him at the World Championship for Young Horses, he was ridden by Nicola Philippaerts, and he was already then I think one of the best horses in the world. Of course you never know with a seven-year-old how they are going to develop, but he has been a super horse and any questions I have asked him he has given me a fantastic answer!”