As last country to do so, Sweden has made official its full dressage team that will compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Swedish team captain Bo Jena officially named two members (Kittel, Nilshagen) a few weeks ago, but the race for the third team spot and travelling reserve spot was still wide open and decided after the 2024 CDIO Aachen.
Also Kittel's choice in horse (Touchdown or Jovian) is uncertain until the very last moment.
The Swedish riders going to Paris are:
- Patrik Kittel - Touchdown
- Therese Nilshagen - Dante Weltino
- Juliette Ramel - Buriel KH
The first, travelling reserve is Maria von Essen with Invoice.
Sweden will be fielding a 17-year old (Dante Weltino) and an 18-year old horse (Buriel) who are both going to their third, consecutive Olympic Games! Buriel competed in two CDI's this season, Dante Weltino in three.
Touchdown
Kittel has opted to ride his 2024 World Cup Final winner Touchdown, a 12-year old Swedish warmblood by Quaterback x Sack, instead of Helgstrand's Jovian.
"The choice fell on Touchdown mainly due to the fact that I have known him for so long and that we have really performed extremely well this year," said Kittel. "Jovian is a fantastic horse that I think can be extremely good in the future, but I haven't ridden him enough and at an Olympics I think you really need to know each other 100 percent if you want to perform for Sweden."
Ramel vs Von Essen
The third team spot was between Juliette Ramel and Maria Von Essen. They have gone head to head at the CDIO's in Compiegne and Rotterdam. Invoice scored higher in the Grand Prix test in both Compiegne and Rotterdam, as well as in the Compiegne GP Special. In Rotterdam Buriel scored higher in the GP Special. At the CDI Lier in February Buriel had a 75.239%. At the CDI Tolbert in April Invoice scored 74.131%. Jena picked Buriel for the team and Invoice as reserve.
"Juliette and Buriel are a seasoned championship team. They haven't competed that much this year, but the fitness curve is on the way up and when they are in shape, they maintain a really high and even level," said Bo Jenå. "Maria von Essen's Invoice does not have as much routine as the others, but is of very high quality. They have really shown that they are on the rise and have good averages in Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special."
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games