Lövsta Future Challenge Cup Launched in Sweden with $US250,000 Over Three Years
14 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Lövsta Future Challenge Cup Launched in Sweden with $US250,000 Over Three Years
FALSTERBO, Sweden, July 9–Swedish businesswoman Antonia Ax:son Johnson and Olympic dressage rider Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén are spearheading a new effort to raise the quality of riders in the increasingly popular Under-25 group and developing horses up to age 11 with a three-year sponsorship commitment for a Lövsta Future Challenge Cup.
The cup consists five qualifying competitions and a final, ridden at Grand Prix with prizemoney of 400 000 Swedish krona (US$62,250) per year. The final will held in the Ericsson Globe Arena during the Stockholm International Horse Show.
The idea came from Swedish Olympian Louise Nathhorst and Peter Härnstam, a dressage trainer and a member of the Swedish dressage committee.
Antonia Ax:son Johnson launched the effort through her Lövsta Stud Farm that she started 10 years ago with education and development of young Swedish riders and dressage horses among its goals. Over three years, the financial commitment could reach 1.5 million Swedish krona (US$235,000).
“Swedish dressage is of a very high international standard. But we need more horses and riders for the future. At Lövsta, Tinne and I have invested in the very best young talents in what we call ‘Lövsta Academy’. When Peter and Louise approached us with the initiative for Lövsta Future Challenge I felt that it worked perfectly together with our ambitions at Lövsta,” Antonia said.
