The Flying Finn Nina Fagerström is the hot favorite in the Helsinki International UB Horse Show this year among the home audience. Fagerström started the indoor season in Oslo. Her top horse Talent has been off for some weeks, and has done only two shows now. Still the couple jumped a good round in the Rolex FEI World Cup™ qualifier, but had one down.

-    The fault came at the three combination, as he does not have the biggest scope. I will jump Talent straight away in the Grand Prix and the World Cup, no warm up classes. Mouse won the main class on Friday last year and it is his main class this year as well, she said at the traditional press conference in Hartwall Areena.

The other World Cup riders are Sebastian Numminen, Satu Liukkonen, Piia Pantsu and the young Anna-Julia Kontio and Jessica Timgren. 

Alexandra Malmström wants to succeed

The competition starts on Thursday with national jumping classes and the International Dressage Grand Prix in the evening. The reigning Finnish Champion in Dressage, Alexandra Malmström, looks for good points from the two 5 star judges. She was third in the GP and the Kür last year, and hopes to do even better this year. Her biggest opponents are Aat van Essen from Holland and Minna Telde from Sweden. Also Stella Hagelstam and Kikka Suomio will have their say in the class. All together eight riders from four countries take part in the dressage competition.