August 13, 2022 
“To follow Tokyo we had a plan,” said Sweden’s Chef d’Equipe Henrik Ankarcrona of their Agria FEI World Championship ambitions in Herning, Denmark.
The team memorably won gold for the first time since 1924 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Henrik Von Eckermann, Peder Fredricson and Malin Baryard-Johnsson. It was also each member’s first Olympic gold.
After breaking that nearly century-long Olympic gold medal drought, they were rearing to have a go at their next big title. Until Friday, the Swede’s had yet to win a World Championship. But they came to Herning as the team to beat, and they knew it. Eckermann is the world’s leading rider while Fredricson is reigning number three.
“We wanted to be on top of the podium here again and we were clear about that. We knew we had the capability, the power and skills to do it. But it’s one thing to say it and a different thing to make it come through,” said Ankarcrona.
They walked the talk. Or, better yet, rode the talk.
If it ain’t broke
The definition of stacked, the Swedish team tagged in all three of their Tokyo drafts (and their same horses) while adding Jens Fredricson, Peder’s brother. Jens might not yet be top ten in the world, but he was no weak link, either—still riding the high of a bronze medal at the World Cup Final Leipzig in April aboard Markan Cosmopolit he was up for the challenge. The Louis Konickx (NED) designed course presented a lofty one over the 14-element track.
Baryard-Johnsson was again in the saddle of 14-year-old H&M Indiana. Last month, the mare won the CSI5* LGCT Grand Prix of St. Tropez in May before placing second with the team for the CSIO5* Nations Cup in Knokke. According to JUMPR App, H&M Indiana has a 62% clear round rate at 1.60m.
Peder has also enjoyed recent success with his mount, 16-year-old gelding H&M All In. In July, they won the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix in Knokke. With a 66% clear round rate at 1.60m and 86% at 1.65m All In’s dependability in Herning couldn’t be questioned.
King Edward got cold hooves
Currently, Von Eckermann’s 12-year-old Belgian warmblood gelding is ranked second in the world. The stats don’t lie, even if they’re so unbelievable you need to read them twice. King Edward has an 92% clear round and a 100% top ten finish rate in 12 rounds at 1.65m (JUMPR App). At this stage in his career you might not expect he’d ever have second thoughts in the chute. Never mind act on his impulses.
“When he heard the applause and everything he turned around and went the other way. But he jumped amazing again and I’m looking forward to Sunday. He’s a very sensitive horse but in a fantastic way,” said Von Eckermann.
Luckily, King Edward only briefly reconsidered his World Championship campaign. Once the buzzer sounded he became the professional we all know best, and jumped another effortless clear round as pathfinder.
Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit also finished on 0/0
Eleven-year-old gelding Markan Cosmopolit has had a flavor for success throughout his career, but out of the talent pool he didn’t enter the Stutteri Ask Stadium with the flashiest résumé. That’s now changed. He was the only horse besides King Edward to jump two clean rounds in the Second Competition.
“My horse tonight was very good. He jumped easily and with confidence and he was relaxed with a lot of power. I was a little lucky at the last fence, but you always need some luck,” said Jens.
“The time was tight and you were thinking about it all the way and couldn’t do extra strides anywhere. That puts more pressure on keeping the balance at high speed and on these turns. I think it was a very good course and I’m happy.”
Happy for another reason too. Did we mention it’s the Fredricson brothers first time on a championship team together?
A good course doesn’t mean an easy course
When a show jumper refers to something as a “very good course,” that doesn’t mean a simple, uncomplicated track. Top riders are fundamentally thrill seekers, after all, and Konickx was praised for Friday’s course design because it was a healthy challenge.
For the Swedes, the challenge culminated to Baryard-Johnsson collecting four-faults and Peder Fredricson catching an uncharacteristic 12. Fredricson served as the anchor rider and also the evening’s drop score. As a team they finished on a total 7.69 points, which was the cleanest score by a wide margin—over 11 points separated them from second place.
While words can’t quite explain the feeling of elation for the Swedes, put simply:
“It’s been an amazing year,” said Ankarcrona.
Ultra-competitive Dutch team finish second
“We had a fantastic course today, [Konickx] made it difficult for the riders. They had no time to breathe in the course. From start to finish you had to move forward, that’s why we got so many mistakes, I think,” chef d’Equipe Jos Lansink (NED) explained.
“We really wanted to qualify for Paris but it seemed very far away. After the round from Jur [Vrieling] with two time faults it looked better again. Then after Harrie’s [Smolders] round we had a chance for a medal and to finish second is a nice bonus.”
The World Championship in Herning is a 2024 Paris Olympics qualifier, offering the top five teams a spot. Starting off the second round Friday in eighth position, qualification seemed a reach for the Dutch.
While Sanne Thijssen, Maikel van der Vleuten, and Jur Vrieling all collected faults, none of the Dutch riders had a detrimental round. Their respectable efforts opened the door for Smolders, who went clear and secured their silver medal finish.
“I think we came back very strong…even halfway through today it didn’t look great for us. But we kept believing and I think this was a real team effort to go home with a medal,” said Smolders.
The Dutch team sliding into silver meant that the French, who began the day in second position, would ultimately end up fifth after each rider on the team faulted at the penultimate triple-combination.
Great Britain broke a drought of their own
Bronze is nothing to scoff at, especially when you haven’t won an FEI World Championship medal since 1998. Just ask Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard (GBR), who was on the team all those years ago according to the British Equestrian Federation.
While it’s no surprise that the curse was broken with powerhouses like Ben Maher and Scott Brash on the team, it was the rookies who carried them through to the finish.
Maher had the misfortune of a rail at the first jump with 12-year-old stallion Faltic HB.
“It was a long way around after the first fence down, but Faltic has jumped great all week and it’s been fun. We have a new team with two younger riders and we all fought all the way to the end,” said Maher.
Jumping the World Championships while his peers are getting their feet wet in the U25s is 22-year-old Joe Stockdale. Though most would consider Stockdale’s participation success enough, his 12-fault path in the first round on Thursday stirred some feelings of disappointment.
Yet in the end Stockdale helped clinch the medal.
This round he rallied with the support of his teammates and improved upon his ride, accounting only for a single rail.
“I made a bit of a mistake myself but I think [Equine America Cacharel] has jumped well all week and she’s come back today. I was delighted with how she jumped in the atmosphere and under the lights,” said Stockdale.
“Jumping at a World Championship has been a bit of a step up, but it’s been good having these guys alongside me. They’ve really guided me through this week. I’m lucky to have them on the team. They’ve been very helpful even when it’s gone a bit pear-shaped for me.”
Harry Charles put forth Great Britain’s only clear round of the day.
The stand-out of the team competition was young 23-year-old Harry Charles aboard 13-year-old gelding Romeo 88. The rising star was able to give Great Britain the lift it needed atop the podium with their only zero point score. Scott Brash and 13-year-old gelding Hello Jefferson offered up the 8-point drop score.
The individual medals are still to be determined.
On Sunday, the leaderboard’s top-15 athletes will fight it out for the final medal of the Agria FEI World Championships. You won’t want to miss it.
