A week-long FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 saw a fierce battle between a total of 14 countries contesting for an Olympic quota spot at the Paris 2024. Starting the contest on the 30th, the Swedish equestrian team maintained a solid lead securing an early domination. However, through to the 2nd day, the team missed a beat opening up an opportunity for those next in line to carry the match.

The day-2 results of the continental championships held in Milan were detrimental to the next day’s medal holders. And amidst the intense stakes and competition, the well-established equestrian team stumbled upon a hiccup that further threatened their stand for the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification.

German Equestrian Team Bags the Top Spot

A total of 14 equestrian teams took part on the 2nd day of the Jumping European Championship. And as the teams went in for a race to the minimal penalty points, it was Germany that emerged successful. To mark off their start, the German team’s star performer, Philipp Weishaupt, and his equine Zineday put on a stunning show that pushed them from 3rd to the 2nd spot on the table. “We had a fantastic speed class yesterday, It wasn’t the biggest jumps but he showed all his experience with the beautiful way he built.” Philipp Weishaupt said according to Horse Daily.

As Germany made progress, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat dropped down to the third alongside Dynamix de Belheme giving solid confidence to the former team. However, that wasn’t the only loss the Swiss team experienced on the day. Earlier in the competition, a heavy fault incurred by Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei dropped them from straight 2nd position to the 15th.

The Irish team was showing an early promise as Michael Duffy with Cinca 3 and Shane Sweetnam with James Kann Cruz securing clears, however, the proceeding match brought it down the hill. Eoin McMahon and the mare Mila encountered difficulties, accumulating four faults. Leading the team to a disadvantage, the faults were added to the final team score which included Trevor Breen and Highland President’s two faults; leaving the team at a disadvantage.

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Moving further, while the teams continued to experience losses, the German team held the ground leaving behind the unstoppable Swedish equestrians.

The Downfall of the Swedish Team on Day 2

The Swedish team’s loss on the 2nd day wasn’t entirely an ugly one. With their astounding performances, Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit managed to keep their top spots on the individual scorecard. However, despite their vigor, the team succumbed to other penalty scores. While Fredricson and Henrik von Eckermann riding Iliana had received a clear, they could not escape counting the eight faults;  scored by Wilma Hellström and Cicci BJN, as well as Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Zuccero.

As Sweden sunk in their scores, Germany took a steady step ahead with only four faults to their addition. The results at the end of the day sided with Germany. The team finished at 9.31 compared to Sweden which ended at 9.51. Following the two were Switzerland and Ireland who led with 9.92 and 10 respectively.

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Despite these ups and downs, the competition remains tightly contested, with little separating the top four teams as they prepare for the next round of action.