Six Feet Above
Price as reviewed:
£26.50 hardcover
Author: Peder Fredricson
Published: 2022
Available as hardcover
View now at amazon.co.uk
About Six Feet Above: Jumping to the top
This is the fascinating story of Swedish equestrian and Olympic medallist Peder Fredricson and his winding road to success. As a five-year-old he was riding on free rein in the Swedish forests and from then on everything was about horses. He worked as a groom for the best equestrians in the world, lived on next to nothing and rode for a while with a buzzard on his arm. He was a skilled rider but not very interested in competing.
When he finally was persuaded to compete in the big equestrian eventing and showjumping competitions, he realised that talent was not enough – he had to rethink completely. He created a structure, both for everyday life and for competitions, and the outcome was almost immediate. After only a few years, he was one of the best showjumpers in the world. Much has changed since his unconventional childhood, but his attitude remains the same – interaction with the horses is what is most important. His mental focus has been his secret weapon in the major competitions.
Today, Peder Fredricson is one of the top showjumpers on the planet with four Olympic medals to his credit. In 2021 he was ranked the world number one rider.
Review
I’m always excited when a new autobiography from the equestrian world is published and Peder’s is, without doubt, one of the best I’ve ever read. The Olympic medallist gives an engaging and insightful account of his colourful childhood, his background in graphic design and previous career in eventing before achieving the highest accolades as a showjumper.
I learned so much about the likeable Swede – his honesty when it comes to his riding: “I do not come to the perfect take-off spot on every fence and I’m not especially good at cantering over ground poles” and the fact he was “really scared” before tackling the cross-country at his first world championships. But his relationship with his horses shines through and Peder shares his fascinating learnings from the likes Mark Todd, with whom he was based for three years, Franke Sloothaak and some of the classical riders he trained with in his youth.
I was fascinated by his pre-competition routines and management, his mental preparation, his switch to competing his horses barefoot and the surprising reason he swapped from eventing to showjumping. But most endearing is his partnership with the “exceptional” horse All In, and their journey of a lifetime together to the Olympics and beyond.
Verdict
As Peder says, “Winning is fantastic, but the journey to the goal is even more exciting – and meaningful” and this brilliant book perfectly reflects that. So many of Peder’s words have stuck with me and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
View now at amazon.co.uk
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