Swedish Event Report

pootler

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This is my first competition report, I thought I would do it as it is somewhere a bit different. I live just outside Copenhagen in Denmark but tend to compete in events in Sweden. This weekend we competed at a 90 event held over two days. The competition was held at Flyinge, this was once a Swedish National Stud but is now part of Paul Schockemohle's empire.

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Our dressage time was 4 pm on Saturday so we had a 2 hour journey including a 20 minute ferry ride from Denmark to Sweden.

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We arrived in good time, all going according to plan and did what I thought was a really nice test despite a couple of small blips. The judge was not on the same page as me and we scored 59.5% putting us into 21st place out of 36.

Event riders in Scandinavia wear traditional dressage attire, I did used to wear my tweeds but have now buckled and blend in with the crowd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x43lrSvAsHc

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You are not given start times for showjumping, you have to present for jumping within 30 minutes of finishing your dressage on penalty of elimination. So it's always a bit of a flap getting ready in time.
Walking the course can be a bit confusing as they set up a double course, you will have a Novice course built next to the 90 course so riders from both classes can run at the same time. Can be a bit confusing when trying to work out where your course is! You can walk the course whilst riders are jumping, I still feel really weird doing this.

It was very hot and I normally wilt but managed to hold it together for a steady clear round to move us up to 17th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CIrqIPYKOk&feature=youtu.be

We packed up to head to our local stabling about 5 minutes down the road. I had a bit of trouble booking it as one person I called spoke no English and the lady I booked with had limited English so I made the booking in a mixture of English and Danish.... On arrival I walked over said hi and went to shake her hand which she wouldn't accept and then spoke a stream of Swedish at me.
A nice young man who was stabled there explained that I couldn't stay there as they had two horses who had recently arrived from Spain and were diagnosed with equine influenza .... gulp. The lady had not taken my number so couldn't call to let me know.

So at 6.30 pm the lad started phoning around and found us a box at the National Stud where we had just competed, he even came with us to show us where to go. So we stayed in style but at twice the price of the previous box!

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The stables where really old with thick stone walls so were lovely and cool. Arnie (my horse) settled in immediately.

It is not the 1st time he has been on a Schockemohle yard, when he was transported to Denmark a few years ago he had an overnight stay in Germany at his yard. We did joke on his arrival that it was a shame they couldn't have made a mix up and popped Totilas on the lorry instead.

Sunday was also baking hot, my time was a 3.15 pm so we had plenty of time to walk courses etc. At all levels in here horses have to have a trot up vet check before going XC. We left Arnie in his cool stable as long as possible then brought him with enough time for his vet check. I walked the course a couple of times. I thought it was very straight forward with nothing much to worry about.

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Whilst walking the 90 I was watching the 100 riders, the 100 caused chaos with elimination after elimination. One thing I do find here is there is a big step up in technicality and size from 90 to 100, this was made very obvious today.

We warmed up for the XC but the flies were really bad, Arnie was having hissy fits, leaping about trying to get the flies off. We headed off over number 1 pictured here and had a lovely clear round in the time.

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I left hubby walking Arnie off and went in to the back of the lorry to change into my shorts. I had a Swedish lady gesticulating and shouting at me though the window. I dread taking my jods off, something always seems to happen when they are around my ankles. Poor hubby didn't know what to do as Arnie had decided he was going to roll. I stuck my head out the door and bellowed to let him get on with it......

So we finished on our dressage score, this moved us up to 12th place narrowly missing a rossie (story of our life!).

We headed off home enjoying the beautiful Swedish countryside, in the UK we'd usually be heading up or down the M25 so it's a delight driving around here. Arnie is now such a seasoned ferry traveller that he started scraping the floor when he arrived in Denmark as he knew he was nearly home.

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Arriving home sweet home.
 

Javabb94

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Wow at the venue!

Arnie is lovely and well done! 12th is a great result :)

Nice to hear a report from Sweden - interesting about the SJ you just have to present your self 30 minutes after dressage - I can imagine that being a bit of a rush!
 

armchair_rider

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Arnie is beautiful. And well done on the jumping results - shame about the dressage though it sounds like it was a decent enough test. Interesting report too
 

Mickyjoe

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Really interesting report. The dressage and Showjumping sounds similar to Ireland. We don't always get showjumping times either, depending on the venue.
Love the horsey accommodation, both the competition and your home. :)
 

pootler

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Thank you all for your kind feedback. I wish it was my home but it is actually where Arnie is kept. Another difference between the UK and Scandinavia is that all tests from 90 upwards must be performed in sitting trot, you can see me attempting sitting in the video link! This has been the biggest culture shock for me never having done much in the past. It is also the same in pure dressage.
 

little_flea

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Great report! I am getting a bit homesick reading this having done the opposite - swapped the beautiful Swedish countryside for the M25… Stunning part of the country and Flyinge is just gorgeous.

Arnie looks fab and well done on the result.

I can see the Scandinavians not being too familiar with tweed! :D

Keep the reports coming - a treat for the ex-pats.
 

pootler

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Little_flea is due credit too as I requested translation help for this very test not long after I arrived! Trying to translate tests in Swedish and Danish is interesting to say the least! A real test of Google translate's skill.
 

HotToTrot

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Really interesting report, thanks! Intriguing that you habe to translate your dressage test, there must be a lot of potential for mix-ups!
 

Garnet

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Fascinating report, thank you for posting:)
That's some effort, going to compete in another country because it is nearer than events in your own country . . .
It's easy for us to forget how comparatively easy it is to compete in the UK due to the sheer quantity of events and venues.
Love the thought of translating the dressage test - hee-hee, and really interesting to compare the similarities and differences between UK and Swedish events.
 

JGC

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Really interesting to hear about how things work in other countries. Most of the dressage competitions near me are in Switzerland, but as the horses are stabled in France, it would take a lot of paperwork to get to them!

Arnie is gorg :)
 
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