Evidensia Sweden Again Supports Longines Global Champions Tour
First held in Sweden in 2019 and postponed last year due to the pandemic, Evidensia Sweden has again been selected as the veterinary services provider for 2021.
Taking place across 16 locations this year, the Longines Global Champions Tour fifth stop is in Stockholm and is taking place on June 18-20. In addition to the elite jumps, Stockholm Horse Week for young equestrian talents is also being held. As per the 2019 event, Stadion in the city centre is the host venue and Evidensia is providing specialist equine veterinary care via colleagues from Evidensia Specialist Animal Hospital Helsingborg.
These are:- Lotta Persson, hospital manager
- Anna Eriksson, veterinarian
- Phil Kieffer, Veterinarian and Diplomate ACVS Surgeon
- Kasper Lillemose, farrier
- Håkan Ahrsjö, veterinary nurse
- Maria Elversson, veterinary nurse / anesthesia manager
- John Persson, veterinary nurse
Spectacular competition with the best riders
The worldwide tour was first established in 2006 and is hosted in venues in exciting and sometimes exotic locations ranging from beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris through to the beaches of Miami. The best teams in the world rankings gather here to compete for the prestigious title of Global Champion and a place in the final Global Champions Prague Playoffs, which will be held in Prague in November 2021. In addition to the individual competitions, the team competition Global Champions League is also included.
Top care for top horses
The famous riders with their horses, often valued into the millions, need to both be in top shape before, during and after the events and require access to top-qualified veterinary care.
As a competition veterinarian, the tasks and responsibilities include:
- Checking the horses upon arrival for any signs of illness
- Manage emergencies on the competition track
- Treat illness in the stables, such as colic or fever
First out: the veterinary inspection
The competitions start on Friday, but the competition veterinarians start their inspection work several days before, when the horses arrive. A veterinary inspection is performed to establish that the horse is healthy and well, functioning and in a competitive condition. The inspection largely consists of observing the horse in motion as it walks and trots. For showjumpers that compete for several days in a row during major competitions, extra inspections are performed at certain intervals. If the horse's status changes during the competition, one measure may be that it may not continue to participate.
Small and large care interventions
The evidence veterinarians will be a dedicated service function and support for Longines Global Champion Tours' own veterinary team that accompanies the entire tour. The care ranges from small to large. Resources are available to perform more advanced procedures on site in the form of, for example, X-rays, ultrasounds or stitching together small wounds. However, there is a consensus that any procedures best performed at a clinic are referred there for the best possible facilities and treatments.
The responsibility also consists of acting in the event of a sudden illness or accident and the horse requires emergency care. In such cases, an animal ambulance is ready for transport to a designated horse clinic where another veterinary team takes over.
Experienced competition veterinarians know however that large competitions, despite many horses involved, are still mostly free of drama. In the rare cases that something happens inside the competition track, it is handled quickly and professionally by experienced attendants, track officials and veterinarians.
Always ready
It is imperative at such events to be constantly prepared to intervene, and we are proud that the skills and experience of our colleagues help them carry out their mission with the utmost trust.
