Swedish Nationals 2017 - Show Report

Once again it was time for the Swedish Nationals. I had a hard time deciding what models to bring as I have been liveshowing a lot this year I had more models qualified than the allowed max of 40 horses. It was a tough decision but I think I did quite well.

Unfortunately there were very few who participated in the Swedish Nationals this year. Only 4 people were present and 3 people had sent models for proxy showing.

As usual we started out with the foals which were only three classes. I showed models in all three of them and they did quite well. R. Peppermint (PS Weanling cm S. Nordström) and Helios (RC Oliver rep. S. Kern) did best both taking second in their classes earning new qualification cards. In the end an adorable donkey foal claimed the Champion title with the well known Appy Sporthorse foal Busta Move as reserve.

Champion Foal: Ölandstokens Tårta, RC Honey rep. S. Nordström
Champion Foal Reserve: Busta Move, Sm. Prancing Foal rep. D. Capwell

Arabians were a surprisingly small championship and I showed three horses. Best of them was Azrafel Ibn Shai (Huckleberry Bey OF) and Farasha (Thunderstorm OF) who got first and second in their class. The Champion was last year's Best in Show, a beautiful Nahar with an equally beautiful Khemosabi as reserve.

Champion Arabian: Ahvaz Fahd, RC Nahar rep. S. Rhodes
Champion Arabian Reserve: Ahvaz Aslan, RC Khemosabi rep. S. Rhodes

Sporthorses is still my favourite championship (I actually owned more than half the participants in this championship) so it was definitely "my" championship. My horses did very well in this championship. Sunny Side N (Tr. Seattle Slew OF) took second place. Fallen Hero took first in his class, as did Vivaldi (Tr. Acadia OF) with Fandango (Tr. Valegro OF) as second. Symphony D (Sm. G3 Cantering Mare rr S. Nordström) took second in her class and my dear Belize took first in her class. I also owned half of the models on the callback table and in the end my horses managed to claim both the champion and the reserve title.

Champion Sporthorse: Belize, RC Genoveva rep. S. Nordström
Champion Sporthorse Reserve: Fallen Hero, RC Valor rep. N. Söhn

The Drafthorse championship is usually a championship were my horses do okay but not too well but this time Brego really went all the way, first winning his class and then he was voted Champion with a beautifully painted Ardennais as reserve.

Champion Drafthorse: Brego, Mini Haggis rep. T. Melin
Champion Drafthorse Reserve: Lukas, RC Finn rep. L. Behning

Next up were ponies and surprisingly my ponies did really well as well. Gold Rush (Copperfox Sovereign OF) won his class, as did Maverick and Epsilon (NL New Forest OF). Maverick then went on to claim the championship title with the adorable Snömonster as reserve.

Champion Pony: Maverick, RC Tivoli rep. A. Dionne
Champion Pony Reserve: Ölandstokens Snömonster, RC Wee Jay rep. S. Nordström

My stockhorses didn't do particularly well. Chocolate managed to take second in his class and so did Whiskey Lullaby (Tr. SR JCP Smart Chic Olena OF) but the others didn't place. But their competition were quite tough and in the end a beautiful paint claimed the champion title and one of my favourite quarter horses took reserve.

Champion Stockhorse: R. Frosted Robin, PS ISH cm F. Cohen
Champion Stockhorse Reserve: R. Poco Leo Chex, Tr. Stud Spider cm Elaine Lindelef

The next championship I'd been looking forward to quite a bit as this would be the first time I got to show my Grail of Grails, Sahale J. He didn't disappoint, winning his class. My two OF mustangs Fuego (Tr. Hidalgo OF) and Acuatico (Tr. Blue Suede Shoes OF) also did good getting second and first in their class! My beautiful Sahale J (no, I'm absolutely not biased, at all 😉) went on to claim the champion title with another beautiful mustang as reserve.

Champion Wild- and Crossbreds: Sahale J, RC El Embosco rep. E. Gonzales
Champion Wild- and Crossbreds Reserve: Shilah J, RC Caldero rep. S. Nordström

The other Equus championship was the only championship of the day were I didn't show any horses. I think I need to get my little donkey painted soon so I can show some models in this championship too as they are so cute! The champion was an adorable donkey with such a beautiful, soft paintjob and the reserve went to a nicely marked mule.

Champion Other Equus: Bonnie, RC Blossom rep. S. Nordström
Champion Other Equus Reserve: Tilda, PS Chips Mule rep. S. Nordström

The European breeds championship was diverse with P.R.E, Icelandics, Cleveland Beys, Friesians and Knabstrups. My friesian Raphael (RC Gabriel rep. T. Melin) got second in his class behind the knabstrup who was crowned champion reserve. The champion title went to the beautiful winner of the P.R.E class.

Champion European: El Salvaje, RC Veroccio rep. L. Lawrynovicz
Champion European Reserve: Merrilinn J, Sm. G2 WB cm A. Zaharenkova

Last championship of the day was Other Riding- and Carriagebreeds. Madonna (Sm. G2 ASB rep. C. Johansson) was the one of my horses who did best in this championship taking second in her class. The champion title went to a Paso fino (with an absolutely beautiful face) with an akhal-teke as reserve.

Champion Other Riding- and Carriagebreeds: FDL Balduino, RC Bitty Bosco cm S. Nordström
Champion Other Riding- and Carriagebreeds Reserve: Kirill J, RC Khan rep. L. Bouras

The callback table for the Best in Show voting was tough! And there were only one point between the winner and the two second placers. So the winner was the beautiful Arabian champion who managed to defend his title as Best in Show of the Swedish Nationals from last year. The Reserve voting even closer as two models had gotten the same points. In the end however the Best in Show Reserve title went to my own Sahale J. I was so extremely proud and happy. He is by far my absolute all-time favourite model and I can't believe that he belongs to me!

Best in Show: Ahvaz Fahd
Best in Show Reserve: Sahale J