Therese Nilshagen (SWE) and Dante Weltino OLD are one of Sweden’s best combinations and a crowd favourite at Horses & Dreams in Hagen a.T.W. (c) Stefan Lafrentz
Press release of 30/01/2023
Horses & Dreams meets Sweden, 19 - 23 April 2023
Hästar och Drömmar in the Teutoburg Forest — Sweden becomes the new Partner Country of Horses & Dreams
Hagen a.T.W. — Traditions are important — especially when it comes to Horses & Dreams! Since 1997, the international equestrian festival has kicked off the eagerly awaited outdoor season in the show calendar, attracting the world's best two- and four-legged athletes to the Teutoburg Forest. Equally important and highly anticipated is the traditional announcement of the partner country. In 2023, the journey goes to the European north, to 'Hästland Sverige' — the horse country Sweden. Not only the national symbol, the bright red Dala horse, testifies to Sweden's love of horses, equestrian sport is hot on the heels of football as the nation's most important sport. One of the oldest warmblood breeds in the world, the Swedish Warmblood, is also at home here.
Top performer Sweden
With a population of only 9 million people, Sweden manages to have top riders in all disciplines and also breed world-class horses. Stars like Henrik von Eckermann, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, Patrik Kittel or Therese Nilshagen are regulars on the starting lists at Horses & Dreams. Dressage rider and Olympic participant Nilshagen is extremely proud that her home country has been chosen and has already marked Horses & Dreams meets Sweden in her calendar: "Sweden has a lot to offer in terms of culture, tradition and culinary delights and I am sure it will be a huge success. Besides, Hagen is one of the most important shows of the year. I'm really looking forward to it!"
Setting the course
From 19 to 23 April 2023, Hof Kasselmann will once again offer international show jumping and dressage up to four-star level. It is also tradition that Hagen is the opening leg for well-known series such as the BEMER Riders Tour, the Louisdor-Prize and the NÜRNBERGER BURG-POKAL. This is where the course is set for the equestrian season! Last year, for example, Sönke Rothenberger's future hope Fendi caused a sensation when he won the Hagen qualifier for the Louisdor-Prize and recommended himself as top favourite for the final. Janne Friederike MeyerZimmermann won the Grand Prix of the Deutsche Kreditbank AG with Messi van't Ruytershof only 11 weeks after the birth of her son, which was also the first competition of the BEMER Riders Tour. Today she leads the ranking and has very good prospects of winning the title, 'Rider of the Year' at the upcoming Final in Neumünster.
Transparency in equestrian sport
Hardly any other show allows the spectators to be part of the action as much as Horses & Dreams. Keeping the sport transparent is a major priority for the hosts Ullrich and Francois Kasselmann. Visitors can enjoy the sport up close across the entire grounds. You don't have to be a horse lover to get your money's worth here, because Horses & Dreams is much more than just a top-class horse show. In addition to the sport, visitors can expect a great entertainment programme, a large exhibitor and sales area covering lifestyle, art and equestrian sports, as well as a spectacular gala show. After camels, sled dogs, Arabian horses and fire riders have delivered goose bumps in the past years, we are excited to see how the partner country Sweden will be staged!
Advance booking for Horses & Dreams meets Sweden will start soon. You can find out more at https://horses-and-dreams.de/
