Our History

On 25–27 March 1977, Gothenburg Horse Show was held for the very first time. The initiative came from the local riding club Clarebergs Ridklubb, led by Lars and Liz Parmler. It marked the beginning of what would become an annual event, bringing riders and horses from all over the world to Scandinavium. In its very first year, 38,184 horse enthusiasts came to the arena to experience the international show jumping competitions. The rest is history. Today, Gothenburg Horse Show is one of the world’s leading indoor equestrian events.

During the early years, a large part of the work behind Gothenburg Horse Show was carried out entirely on a voluntary basis by members of Clarebergs Ridklubb. Their commitment and hard work helped lay the foundation for the event.

Today, the team of volunteers includes people from many different backgrounds, but there are still several volunteers who have been involved since the very beginning and return year after year. Their long-standing commitment is a unique part of the history of Gothenburg Horse Show.

Photo: Krister Lindh (1977)

From the very beginning, the audience played an incredibly important role in the success of the competitions. The euphoric atmosphere inside the arena was truly remarkable and something new for the international riders. To this day, the atmosphere in the arena remains one of the event’s defining characteristics.

Photo: Roland Thunholm (1981)

By the time Gothenburg Horse Show was held for the third time in 1979, the competition had already become an international success. The very first FEI World Cup™ Final was held at Scandinavium, with the legendary duo Hugo Simon and Gladstone taking the victory. Among the starting field was a young and promising talent named John Whitaker. He would later become one of the world’s most iconic riders, together with his legendary horse Milton. Since 1979, the Jumping World Cup Final has returned to Scandinavium no fewer than 15 times. In the years when the final has not been held here, the final leg of the World Cup’s Western European League has been decided at Gothenburg Horse Show.

Photo: Roland Thunholm

In the mid-1980s, riders voted Gothenburg Horse Show the best indoor competition in Europe. Since then, the event has received this title several times. Most recently, in 2019, when dressage riders once again named Gothenburg Horse Show the best indoor competition in the world. This is, of course, a great honour and entirely thanks to our fantastic audience, loyal partners and our dedicated volunteers.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten (1985)

Did you know that a World Cup Final was held at Scandinavium every single year throughout the 1990s? Every other year it was the Dressage World Cup Final, alternating with the Jumping World Cup Final. In 1991, we saw the legendary Milton claim victory with John Whitaker. Then, in 1993, it was the legendary Ratina Z and Ludger Beerbaum who took the win, with Milton and John finishing in second place.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten (1991)

In 1995, Milton was given a farewell in front of a packed arena. Milton is one of the most famous horses of all time and has left an enormous mark on the history of equestrian sport. The careers of Milton and John Whitaker are still celebrated today. Among other honours, they were the first to be inducted into the GHS Hall of Fame, which was introduced in 2019.

In 1999, we were treated to another extraordinary show jumping partnership – Rodrigo Pessoa and Baloubet du Rouet. In Scandinavium, they won the World Cup Final for the second time in three consecutive years, an exceptional achievement that no other show jumping partnership has matched to this day.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten (1995)

Rodrigo Pessoa’s story in Gothenburg began when he was a child, watching his father Nelson Pessoa compete. But in 1999, it was Rodrigo himself who entered Scandinavium – together with Baloubet du Rouet. With their speed, courage and ability to perform under pressure, Rodrigo and Baloubet became one of the most legendary partnerships in the sport. Their World Cup victory at Scandinavium became one of the defining moments of their extraordinary journey.

In 2001, they returned to the arena for another World Cup Final – with the chance to claim a fourth consecutive victory. This time, however, they had to settle for second place, behind Markus Fuchs and Tinka’s Boy.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten

The 1990s saw several significant dressage moments at Gothenburg Horse Show. In 1992, 22-year-old Isabell Werth won her very first World Cup Final, marking the beginning of a legendary career that is still going strong today. Isabell is the most successful dressage rider of all time, with 34 championship gold medals to her name, including six Olympic gold medals and seven World Championship gold medals. Her most recent appearance at Scandinavium was in 2019, when she once again stood at the top of the podium in the World Cup Final, this time with Weihegold OLD. Another of the most successful dressage partnerships of the 1990s to make frequent appearances at Gothenburg Horse Show was Anky van Grunsven and the extraordinary Bonfire. They are one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the sport and won the World Cup Final in 1995, 1996 (in Scandinavium), 1997, 1999 and 2000.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten (1992)

1998 was the year all Swedes had been waiting for – finally, a Swedish rider won a World Cup Final, and it happened on home soil at Gothenburg Horse Show. Louise “Lussan” Nathhorst and Walk on Top danced their way to victory to the specially composed freestyle music written by none other than Benny Andersson. The competition was exceptionally strong – in second place was the previously mentioned Anky van Grunsven with Bonfire, and Isabell Werth and Antony in third place.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten (1998)

The 90s also saw the first major Swedish successes in show jumping. In 1996, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Paradiso won the prestigious Gothenburg Trophy. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson is one of the most popular riders in Gothenburg Horse Show’s history and has enjoyed many great successes at Scandinavium since then. His most recent came in 2019, when he once again won the Gothenburg Trophy in front of a packed arena, this time with Oak Grove’s Carlyle. In terms of World Cup results, Peter Eriksson and Robin Z were the most successful Swedish partnership at Scandinavium during the 1990s. In 1995, they finished sixth in the final, which was won by Nick Skelton and Dollar Girl.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten (1998)

In 2002, a new discipline was introduced at Scandinavium – driving. Driving had previously been a popular part of the show programme, but during the 2000s, the competitions became more serious. Driving was given its own World Cup, with the final taking place in Gothenburg.

In 2017, it was once again time for an exciting World Cup Final at Scandinavium during Gothenburg Horse Show. Since then, however, driving has not returned to Scandinavium.

Since 1989, young pony riders have had the opportunity to compete at Scandinavium alongside the world’s top riders. Sverigeponnyn, formerly known as GP-ponnyn, is a jumping equitation competition where riders are judged on their position, aids, rhythm, fluency and control, with a focus on harmonious communication between rider and pony. Sverigeponnyn is one of Gothenburg Horse Show’s most popular features, and always attracts a large audience. For the young riders, competing in front of a packed arena is a memory they will cherish for a lifetime.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten

From the 2000s onwards, Swedish equestrian sport has seen an incredible rise, with many major victories and achievements. Many of these have taken place at Scandinavium, where the ecstatic crowd has raised the roof after the outstanding performances witnessed at Gothenburg Horse Show.

In 2005, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson won the Gothenburg Trophy once again, this time with Grandina. At the time, Grandina was Rolf’s third horse behind MacKinley and Celestial, making the achievement even more remarkable.

Photo: Roland Thunholm (2005)

Another iconic partnership is, of course, Malin Baryard and Butterfly Flip. Together, they competed at Scandinavium for 10 consecutive years, with their victory in the 2004 European League Final being their greatest achievement. Individually, they achieved the remarkable feat of qualifying for the World Cup Final no fewer than five times between 2002 and 2008.

The partnership between Malin and “Flippan” was something truly special. Together, they achieved numerous top results in the World Cup, and in 2003 they were named the world’s best partnership. They fought together and showed a bond and affection rarely seen before or since.

Photo: Jan Gyllensten

In 2009, swedish Svante Johansson entered the World Cup scene and, together with the stallion Saint Amour 1125, everything came together for a sensational victory in front of an ecstatic home crowd. The cheers in the arena knew no bounds as the pair entered the prize-giving ceremony to the sound of “We Are the Champions” by Queen.

The class also saw Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Quintero La Silla finish in third place after just one fence down in the jump-off.

Around the 2000s and 2010s, the international elite featured a number of outstanding female riders – and several of them made a lasting mark on Scandinavium. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was ranked world number one in 2008 and won the World Cup Final in Gothenburg that same year with Shutterfly.

For many years, the Gothenburg Trophy had been dominated by male riders, but between 2006 and 2009, female riders took over. Jessica Kürten won in 2006, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in 2007, Kürten again in 2008, and Edwina Alexander in 2009.

Then, in 2013, it was time for another female World Cup winner, as Beezie Madden and Simon claimed victory in front of a roaring crowd at Scandinavium.

In 2015, a new world star was introduced to the home crowd as All In, ridden by Peder Fredricson, claimed his first major victory by winning the Gothenburg Trophy. Their success story continued with European, World and Olympic gold medals.

In 2023, “Allan” was given a heartfelt farewell in front of a deeply emotional audience at Scandinavium.

Photo: Madeleine D. Bergsjø

Henrik von Eckermann and his hugely popular Mary Lou did a remarkable achievement by winning the World Cup class in both 2017 and 2018. It is a rare feat for the same pair to win at the same venue two years in a row.

The next major triumph at Scandinavium came in 2025, when the then world number one and Iliana won the prestigious Gothenburg Trophy in front of a cheering home crowd.

In 1999, Linda Heed won the Young Rider Krafft Cup at Scandinavium. 26 years later, she returned to the same arena – this time with the stallion Skylander. In front of a packed arena, the pair stunned the world’s top riders and won the World Cup class in 2025.

Scandinavium erupted as Linda and Skylander crossed the finish line as winners. It was Linda’s first five-star victory – and it came in front of her home crowd.

Photo: Madeleine D. Bergsjø

In 2019, the World Cup Finals returned to Gothenburg Horse Show. The top Swedish result came from Peder Fredricson, who finished third with Catch Me Not S. The same year, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson claimed victory in the Gothenburg Trophy once again, this time with Oak Grove’s Carlyle. Swedish riders Irma Karlsson and Stephanie Holmén took second and third place.

Photo: Johan Lilja

A true crowd favourite in Gothenburg is show jumper Steve Guerdat. Despite riding for Switzerland, the Swedish audience has cheered him on as one of their own. Steve has a long list of successes at Scandinavium. In 2008, he finished seventh in his first World Cup Final with Tresor. In 2013, he finished second with Nino des Buissonnets, before winning the Final in 2016 with Corbinian and again in 2019 with Alamo. The cheers seemed to never stop as he celebrated his 2019 victory with lap after lap around the arena during the prize-giving cermony. In 2025, Steve Guerdat was inducted into the Gothenburg Horse Show Hall of Fame – a recognition of the special place he holds in the hearts of the Gothenburg crowd as a rider, horseman and role model.

Photo: Tommy Holl

From the 2000s onwards, Swedish dressage riders have delivered great achievements at Gothenburg Horse Show. A true crowd favourite was Briar 899, who together with Jan Brink dominated Swedish dressage for an entire decade. In 2007 and 2009, the pair stood at the top of the podium in Scandinavium after winning both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle on both occasions. 2009 also marked their final competitive year together – and what a way to end an extraordinary career! Briar 899 and Jan Brink ushered in a new era of freestyle music with an innovative and technically demanding programme set to a mix of Elena Paparizou’s 2005 Eurovision-winning song “My Number One” and Arash’s “Temptation”. Modern, sharp and driven by a strong, unmistakable rhythm, Briar and Jan Brink danced their way through the programme – and the audience danced along with them. An unforgettable performance.

Over the years, Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén has treated the audience at Scandinavium to many memorable performances, especially together with Don Auriello. In 2013, the pair competed in the World Cup Final in Gothenburg, finishing fourth. Three years later, at the 2016 World Cup Final, they finished second.

But perhaps the performance the audience remembers most vividly was at the 2019 World Cup Final – their final year competing together. As Tinne and “Anton” entered Scandinavium, the arena erupted in cheers that seemed to lift the roof.

Photo: Johan Lilja

Patrik Kittel has been a crowd favourite at Gothenburg Horse Show for many years. In 2016, he finished fourth in the World Cup Final with Watermill Scandic. When they entered Scandinavium, the noise level rose dramatically – the Swedish crowd loved seeing them together in the arena.

Kittel has also claimed podium finishes at Scandinavium with Delaunay and Touchdown, continuing to treat the home crowd to a series of impressive performances.

Photo: Louise Dahlström

When Maria von Essen and the black beauty Invoice made their debut at Scandinavium in 2024, it marked the beginning of a remarkable success story. The pair finished second in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle in 2024, and repeated the feat in 2025. In 2026, the long-awaited victory finally came. Together, they set a new personal best and won the World Cup Freestyle at Scandinavium with a score of 82.645%.

For “Mia”, Gothenburg Horse Show holds a very special place in her heart. As a child, she watched the competitions on television and was inspired by Louise Nathhorst’s World Cup Final victory. Now, it was her turn to step into the spotlight and receive the cheers of the Scandinavium crowd.

Photo: Louise Dahlström

During the 2019 competition and World Cup Finals, the GHS Hall of Fame was introduced to honour the people and horses who have played a particularly important role in the history of Gothenburg Horse Show. Riders, horses and other notable figures have been nominated by the audience and event officials, with the final inductees selected by a jury.

Photo: Anna-Lena Lundqvist

The countdown has begun! In March 2027, Gothenburg Horse Show celebrates 50 years, and until then, we’ll be looking back at the moments, people, horses and memories that have shaped our history. Join us on this journey through the years and follow our channels for a trip down memory lane!

Do you have a special Gothenburg Horse Show memory that deserves to be in the spotlight? Send us an email with your story!