Niklas Lindback and Focus Filiocus
Niklas Lindback and Louise Svensson Jahde helped the Swedish team move into fourth place after the first day of dressage at the FEI European Eventing Championships at Strzegom
While Niklas has many years of experience at this type of competition, it is Louise’s first senior championship but both riders produced personal bests at just the right time, putting Louise into fifth place (38.30) and Niklas into 14th place (44.70) at the end of the first day of competition
“We’re now a combination” says Niklas of his 10 year old Swedish warmblood Focus Filiocus “Just the last month he has really kicked in and is starting to get what I am meaning with my riding. Before he was fighting against me but now we’re a combination; I listen to him and he listens to me”
Niklas has ridden around the Strzegom course many times but this is the toughest he has seen here, saying “It’s all going to be about how brave you want to be and how much you want to chase the time” he says
Niklas Lindback
Louise Svensson Jahde
27 year old Louise Svensson Jahde had both her 13 year old chestnut mare (‘Yes, she’s a chestnut mare and behaves like it at times!’) and her fiancé Claas Romeike, 4* rider and son of the 2008 Olympic team and individual gold medallist Hinrich Romeike, to thank for her fifth place and score of 38.30 in the dressage
“It was amazing, she’s just amazing, she was so focussed and really working with me. It was, just cool!” says Louise of the mare while Claas helped to keep his fiancée focussed and calm before her test
