CSIO Rome or the Piazza di Siena as the event is known as goes now at its 76th edition and is an essential part of prestigious Samsung Super League. The Samsung Super League brings together the eight best teams in the world and the series is well known throughout the world. The event is broadcasted globally and last year more than 50.000 visitors saw the 4 days of competition from the stands or the VIP village.

Sunday: Evli Nandele convince

Mikael competed in the open classes with Evli Nandele and Quidana.

Report 

Mikael spent a Rome show weekend in tough competition, as the 5-star Super league event brought to Italy many of the world's best riders and horses. Mikael's game plan was to prepare Evli Nandele for its third ever major GP, which was the Grande finale on Sunday.

Sunday's Grand Prix proved to be one huge task, but all within the capabilities of the rising star. Evli Nandele was clean all the way to the triple combination, where the mistake came from the unlikely part, as Mikael got the approach all wrong.

-  Evli Nandele was absolutely fu**ing amazing!, the problems at the triple combination was simply my own mistaken distance for the stride. The mare cleaned the a-part, but I turn out before the b-jump to avoid a possible huge error. There was no point in risking it all and possibly frighten the mare, which has now started to trust its rider, Mikael explained riding the Grand Prix.
 
-  Evli Nandele seems to have what it takes to step up alongside Isaac du Jonquet. It's not an easy horse to ride, but it's a quite amazing jumper. The obstacles it can master and the ease it jumps them is just something else. This might be the best horse ever I've ridden, Mikael ensured.

Evli Nandele has now done two big outdoor Grand Prix's (Qatar, Rome) and one indoor at Gothenburg. The first two came rather fast, but in Rome it was already almost there.

- I'm pretty convinced I won't make similar newbie blunders in each big show, so we have some possibilities, Mikael smiled.

-  The mare is by no means as good as I think she can become, both the strength and our co-op can be improved, making it all more likely to make results on the highest level. After managing the clean round we still have the jump-off's, which can take a bit longer to manage, as jumping in those flat-out rounds will need every small bit right. For some horses it never comes, but I'm confident regarding this mare, Mikael continued.

Mikael explained that the only real concern could be the always illusive health in show horses, but otherwise this should definitely be a horse to watch closely!

Quidana jumped with Mikael a really big course on Saturday. It wasn't just 1m50, it was Saturday's main event in a 5-star show featuring even a 4-combination. For the young mare it was a bit on the heavy side, but despite a few small mistakes it still went well. In Sunday's accumulator Quidana and Mikael got the Joker wrong, but that was the risk in aiming for a good result.

Last but least we then have Mikael's and Quidana's fabulous ride on Friday. Without big risk-taking horse and rider secured a mark worthy 3rd place in 1m45 against the clock. That together with the promises left by Evli Nandele Rome weekend was definitely on the plus side.

And to finish the report, we can add something totally different: Noora became last night an aunt and her brother the proud father of a small boy!
 

Website:

1. Piazza di Siena

Results Live:

1. Result service

Mikael's results:

1. Results Summary

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