Pontus made the Only Clear Round – Wins the SWB Trophy

“It would of course have been fun to jump in a jump-off, but this suits us perfectly,” said Pontus Westergren with a broad smile after his victory.

The six-year-old horses qualified through the Breeders Trophy, held at Flyinge in October. There, Dutch rider Lars Kersten test-rode and evaluated all the horses. In Scandinavium, however, the class is run as a standard competition and may be decided by a jump-off if two or more riders finish clear.

The winning mare, Sierra JV (F.2), has impressed throughout her young horse career. In the stands at Scandinavium, her breeder and owner Jimmy Vargas proudly watched her performance.

“Of course you feel incredibly proud. She has been a fantastic horse since the day she was born. At the same time as she has power and spark, she’s also very calm and cool. I think that’s a wonderful combination in a horse,” said Jimmy Vargas.

Second place went to André Brandt and Stenhaga Oscar, who posted the fastest time of the class but had one rail down. Despite there being no jump-off, he was pleased with the result.

“I’m happy and satisfied with how Oskar performed. We’ve had a bit of a tough period since the Breeders with an injury that almost kept us from starting,” said André, who is riding several horses during the weekend in Scandinavium.

Third place was claimed by Betty Nilsson aboard Chacceda R. It was their first time competing in the main arena.

“This is the biggest challenge I’ve had so far. Chacceda R is perfect for the sport. It feels like she has everything, and everything comes very easily to her. She’s also very, very brave, and that’s something I’m truly grateful for,” said Betty.

All three riders agreed on the importance of giving young horses the opportunity to compete in a major arena like Scandinavium.

“I think it’s extremely important and very valuable that we have good lower-level classes in such a big arena. We can come in without feeling that we absolutely have to deliver. I’m very grateful that Hyperion and Gothenburg Horse Show want to support and make this possible for our young horses,” said André Brandt.