Jeanna Hogberg and Liza Minelli, A Wickedly Winning Combination at the 2013 CDI Vidauban

Shows

2013 CDI Vidauban

Entering the arena to the theme from The Wizard of Oz, Sweden's Jeanna Hogberg debuted her new freestyle format at the 2013 CDI Vidauban. After a successful practise run which placed her fifth in the kur on the first week of competition Hogberg and her exciting mare Liza Minelli received a winning reception in the kur on the last show day Sunday 10 March 2013.

"My highlight of the Vidauban CDI was actually the GP Freestyle in the first week. The freestyle was going on at the same time as the Gala Night so we had a great audience, and it was fantastic to ride in the highlighted arena," Jeanna told Eurodressage. "It was also the first time I rode my new freestyle and I really enjoyed it!

Very happy with her results throughout the entire two weeks of competition, Jeanna performed the freestyle again in the second week, winning with an outstanding score of 72.750%. "It was even better in the second week and I scored more than one percent higher," she exclaimed.

Among her many great results during the Spring Tour show, Jeanna was awarded a 3rd and a 4th in Prix St Georges, and a 5th in the Inter 1 with her 9-year old mare Darcia (by Danone x Don Schufro), who she hopes will be her future Grand Prix horse. "I am very pleased with Darcia and believe she made a great international debut with 69,7% in Prix St Georges. She is still not very experienced but very talented in piaffe and passage," she said.

Jeanna on Darcia With a 2nd in Intermediaire II, a 4th and a 1st in the Grand Prix, and a 5th and a 1st in the Grand Prix freestyle, Jeanna had a very busy but extremely successfum two weeks on her top horse Liza Minelli (by Cortez x Ganesco x Dolomit). The gorgeous dark bay beauty produced far more than she had expected. "The results are fantastic and I didn't expect it to go that well when I went down to Vidauban," she confessed. "Last year in Vidauban I had results around 65% with Liza and this year I had three times over 70% and great results from the O-judges."

Starting out on a very cute welsh pony, Hogberg enjoyed showjumping and eventing a lot, but she found that the pony often stopped and she would be left to fly over the fences solo! "My mother didn't enjoy it as much as we did, so she forbad us from jumping. Then, I only had dressage left," she reminisced. Her pony turned out to be super nice even for dressage and Jeanna was awarded a silver in the Swedish Championships on that talented Welshman, who is still alive to this day, aged 32.

Though in Vidauban both her horses performed above her expectations, Jeanna feels that Liza was actually a little tired in her body when they made the trip down to the south of France. "I had to take it very easy the first days and wasn't sure if I could start the Inter II or not," she stated. "I decided to take "a jog" around the Inter II so that I would have her fresh for the GP the day after and she finished with her best results ever in Inter II. Obviously a good strategy!"

Though Liza Minelli is a very active and willing horse, Jeanna thinks it is often better for her to be a little relaxed, as otherwise the pair can enter a little too wild sometimes. "This was also the greatest challenge at this competition, to keep the horses fresh in their body and muscles, and not to overtrain them," she said. "They arrive with a long trip in their body and have two weeks of competitions ahead."

Bought by Jeanna when she was 8, Liza was one of her first horses after her Pony, Junior and Young Riderstime. The pair has learned almost everything together. "I have another GP horse that I educated firs, and learned on myself, so that I could do things a little bit better with Liza. Now I hope that I can do it even better with the young one I have coming."

Certain Liza is the best horse she ever had, Jeanna has never won as much on any other horse and is lucky to have a horse with so many outstanding qualities. "I won my first international competition in Vestfold with her and I won my first international Grand Prix at the Helsinki Horse Show last year with her. She is an amazing competition horse but with a lot of integrity," she explained. "Her strengths are her extended trot, her half passes and her passage. Piaffe has been more difficult but probably because I started it too late and because I wasn't experienced enough. Of course it's simple with a horse that has got great talent for it, but it's possible to teach even the ones that don't have a natural ability to do it."

Jeanna Hogberg The show dealt with much rain and stormy weather, but Jeanna believes that Vidauban is still a lovely place to be, despite the odd distraction. "When I went into the zig-zag in the first Grand Prix, the fences fell down behind me and of course the zig-zag was not the best one I've ever done. Other than that the show crew solved all the problems caused by the weather in the best way and we actually got some sun the last days. It's a very good way to start the season!"

Trained by Patrik Kittel, Jeanna made a stopover at his stable in Germany on the way to the competition. She says the touch-up was just what the pair needed. "It's very valuable training. I have developed a lot since I started to train with him," she said.

At home Jeanna daily trains alongside Mads Hendeliowitz, as they are both situated at Segersta yard. Jeanna believes these extra eyes on the ground, are also key to her success. "We look at each other almost every day and are often at the same competitions where we can coach each other," she explained. "I think that is one of the reasons for our success in these recent weeks."

by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed