2007 World Cup Qualifiers

Jan Brink Wins the 2007 CDI-W Stockholm

December 4, 2007

Swedish star rider Jan Brink managed to win his second car within a week time. At the biggest yearly event of the Globe Arena at the Stockholm International Horse Show Jan Brink was the best in the second leg of the Western European League of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage. “Briar and me were already quite close to winning last week in the openings qualifier in Odense in Denmark and now we won!”, Jan Brink commented. “I am the more happy as Briar felt so steady and nice all the way for two weeks in a row.”

Briar is an exciting horse, having competed in seven World Cup™ Finals already, two Olympic Games and a lot of other shows. He has uncountable wins on his record, being the overall winner of the Aachen Horseshow in 2005 to be considered as the most impeccable. Jan Brink aims to keeping 16 year old Briar this fit and healthy in the sport, on the way to possibly his third Olympic Games in his 9th year going Grand Prix. Jan Brink: “I cannot wish for more but keeping Briar as energetic and steady as he is now! A good management is my only concern. I just like to show Briar in as many or less shows as will fit him the best, to keep his energy as it is now. To me now he is at top level. I certainly do not aim especially for the World Cup™ Final but will do the World Cup™ qualifier in Amsterdam or Neumünster just because it’s good competition there and because of the quality of the shows there.”

Another detail to be mentioned is that Brink rode his freestyle music ‘Number one’ in Stockholm for the last time with Briar. The music happened to fit Briar’s son Biggles as well perfectly and Brink will now work on new music to fit Briar.

The chairman of the judges Gustav Svalling emphasized the great management of Brink showing Briar in this good shape. However mr Svalling today considered Tinne Vilhelmson as the winner showing Solos Carex to wonderful heights. Gustav Svalling: “Today for me it was not Jan Brink only who can be praised. Tinne Vilhelmson today showed to me her great capacities as a rider. She did a superb test, riding Solos Carex really smoothly forward. It just was good riding with a happy horse which appealed to the eye.” Tinne Vilhelmson was the runner up and said she rode her test with a super feeling, having a smile on her face all the time. “The roof almost went of the Globe by the enthusiasm of the audience. It was fantastic! The excitement really rose to the climax with the tight schedule for the canter parts beautifully emphasized by the music”, Vilhelmson commented. She rode on Swedish music produced by the former Abba-musicians and it went very well. After her stallion Solos Carex was gelded he changed a lot. “He somewhat lost his tension and gained concentration and energy”, Tinne concluded

Also riding with a smile on her face was German Heike Kemmer. She showed a shining Bonaparte and three of the five judges had her in the runner up position. “It was sensational”, Kemmer said. “All the time ‘Bonnie’ was really with me. I did an extended canter towards the judges on the centreline and the applause was so loud that I hardly could hear my music! In the end while doing the piaffe and passage to the judges at the last centre line I couldn’t hear whether I really had the halt on the final music note of my freestyle because of the cheering and clapping! An amazing experience and a wonderful reception. I definitely will continue my season in Amsterdam now and I am most happy to be back in the dressage centre with Bonaparte in this form. This makes me longing for more."

Not only dressage enthusiasts enjoyed themselves among the audience of 70.000. The youth were all the more delighted this weekend in Stockholm where they had the opportunity to experience the thrills of ‘My Horse and Me’, a unique equestrian video game supported by the FEI.

Equestrian sport in Sweden is the second most popular sport, after football. The horse is by nature a very important environmental resource. The Swedish Equestrian Federation is proud that the equestrian Sport in Sweden is the leading sport within the environmental field and has a very ambitious environmental programme.

Photo courtesy: Ronald Thunholm

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