The come-back queen took home-victory and debutants joined her on the podium

With her on the podium was the two Gothenburg first-time participants Domien Michiels on his impressive big black gelding Intermezzo van het Meerdaalhof, nicknamed Inter, and Dutch Thamar Zweistra with her fairytale white stallion Hexagon’s Ich Weiss who simply goes by Weiss in the stable.

Maria von Essen, known in Sweden simply as Mia, was happy just being in Gothenburg competing.

“It was just unexpected to win here, I must say, but my horse Invoice was so nice in the arena. So, I'm very happy. Me and my husband bought him as a two-and-a-half-year-old from just a video, he has been with us for quite a while.

He is a very friendly horse, but he is very sensitive. He's almost afraid of himself, I would say. So, it's been quite difficult on the way and that is one of the reasons I have competed him very little. “

What does Gothenburg Horse Show mean for you on a more personal note?

Mia has a special place for the show in her mind and heart.

“Since I was a child, I watched it on TV and saw Lussan Nathorst win the World Cup Final and it made such an impression on me as a young rider. It's an honor to be here.

Now I wish to try and develop my horse even further and make Invoice more secure and not so tense – and as always  – a little bit longer in the neck.”

Domien Michiels got enthusiastic talking about his own black beauty named Intermezzo van het Meerdaalhof, a 16—year-old son of Gribaldi.

“It is a truly wonderful horse. The owner gave it to me when he was four. He asked, can you sell the horse for me. I agreed but then we kept saying one more year, go on and compete yourself – now I own half the horse and Inter will stay with me forever. But I have a special connection with him from the beginning already.”

“We have already done two European Championships, a World Championship and the Olympics together. I never expected for us to go so far, we never thought that back in the day when he was a youngster. But his character is so good. He's not the most expressive horse, but he has always wanted to try everything for me. And his character is just perfect.”

Tamar Zweistra has the very special experience to ride a home-bred horse, perhaps not so unique when home is the famous Hexagon Stud but still.

“ Hexagon’s Ich Weiss is just a really, really cool stallion. I am really happy and honored to ride him. I was riding his father and have ridden his mother, both in Grand Prix. So he's grown up with us and, he's really our special horse, our own Weiss.”

Judge at C Raphael Saleh from France, the Future Ground Jury president of the Olympic Games in Paris, was present giving his view of today’s world cup class.

“As judges we really enjoyed the  rides from our three podium-placed riders. It wasn't such an easy task for us because we really had to work and to get concentrated as always, but we were really pleased. We have a new winner, so that's really good for the sport to bring new faces into the spotlight.”

In Gothenburg the warm-up is filmed and live-streamed and the riders all agreed that it is not something that makes them cautious.

“It doesn't really matter, we all need to ride as good as we can and we don’t think about it, they don’t bother us”, said Thamar Zweistra and the others agreed.

Judge Hans-Christian Mathiesen from Denmark invited the press to come and talk to him and his fellow judges.

“Please, talk to us, ask us if you have any questions or something you don't understand, because it feels much better for us if we can discuss together instead of reading about later in the media. We always have good discussions among us and would really love to hear about how you perceive the sport. I think so many in this sport, they work so hard to create the best opportunities and facilities for the horses in this sport, trying really, hard. We as judges are proud of the riders. Even though we don't give them the 100 percent, we're still proud of them for trying so hard in the ring.”

Stay tuned for a dance to music with horses as the world cup qualifier of Gothenburg takes place Saturday afternoon.

Quotes from Mixed Zone