Voices That Inspire

HENRIK VON ECKERMANN has held the top spot in the show jumping rankings longer than any other rider, an astonishing 33 months. The next best rider clung to the top for 16 months. Apart from that, he has collected countless medals and top finishes at championships and international competitions—including gold at the World Championships, Olympics, and European Championships.

SECURING AN AUDIENCE with harness racing trainer Johan Untersteiner is no easy feat.
When you’re running Sweden’s largest trotting stable, competing regularly at racetracks across the country and juggling the demands of parenthood, your schedule is more than full.
Eventually, he finds a slot – in a car park outside the gym, before his training session and a moment of me-time.

THAT PEDER FREDRICSON would become a professional rider seems obvious in hindsight. He has won gold in the Olympic games, the World Championship and the European Championship. But according to Peder himself, it took a while before he realised that competing could actually become his job. After major success as a junior in eventing—and becoming the youngest Swedish rider ever to compete at the Olympics (Peder was 20 in Barcelona)—he switched to showjumping exclusively.

DANIEL BACHMANN ANDERSEN became smitten with horses, and dressage, when he was a child.
– I’m not from a typical horse family, he says. I started at the local riding club, like anyone else. I was very fascinated by the horses, the animals themselves, and wanted to find out everything about them. From the age of ten, all I ever wanted to do was to be with the horses, and ride.

YOU CAN’T TALK to Wilma Hellström about her riding career for more than a few seconds before Cicci enters the conversation. She shares a deep bond with the one-eyed mare, and the accident that caused Cicci to lose her eye also halted a planned sale.

 IN THE STABLE AISLE, surrounded by the scent of hay and the snorts of horses, they found not only their passion – but also each other. Their shared love of horses brought breeders Magdalena Grunditz and Bernt Staaf together. Today, they run Brokvarn Stud Farm in Svenljunga, Sweden.  

SUMMING UP ROLF-GÖRAN Bengtsson’s career takes a while: He started by winning the Swedish Pony Eventing Championship in 1977, went on to claim Olympic and European medals and he has racked up countless victories on many different horses. In 2012 he became the first Swede ever to top the world rankings in showjumping.

THOSE WHO WERE visiting the World Cup in 2023 in Gothenburg are sure to remember Marc Dilasser, who together with his Arioto won his first World Cup victory on Swedish soil. But Marc has been in the game for a long time. He is a member of the French team since 2012 and has an impressive string of strong horses in his stable.

TRAINER OF THE YEAR, trainer of Horse of the Year – and a brand-new dad.
Life is moving fast for Daniel Wäjersten, one of Sweden’s top harness racing trainers, whose rise to the top has been as rapid as it has been impressive.
- Everyone seems to think it’s happened really quickly, Daniel says – suggesting he himself is less surprised.  

CATHRINE LAUDRUP-DUFOUR is the newest member in Team KRAFFT, and has established herself as one of the world's top dressage riders. Early in 2025, she reached the # 1 spot in the dressage world rankings, something she dreamt about and aimed at for a long time. But from the beginning, it was far from certain that she was going to get into the saddle at all.

WHEN HENRI RUOSTE was a child, his mother took him to the stable and bought him riding lessons. As children do, he fell off, and wanted to quit riding. But his mother was persistent, and told her son he had to fall off a thousand times to become a good rider.

FROM THE START, it was the speed that captivated her. Back then, Louise—whose surname was Svensson Jähde—loved galloping. Maybe she would become a jockey? But her mother, who had been involved in eventing, encouraged her to give that sport a try. And when her pony showed a real talent for eventing, her career dreams changed shape.

RECENTLY, CARL HEDIN was able to add “Vasalopp skier” to his business card. Or, he might not have a business card, but what he does have is an Instagram account with more than 400,000 followers. So if there’s any rider you’ve heard of, it’s probably Carl. He hasn’t switched from dressage to show jumping, but he has definitely entered the show jumping ring—and is now competing in the big classes