2007 Sweden Tour

Sweden Tour!

October 13 - 22, 2007

Sweden Oct. 13-22 2007 Carol Reid from SWANA (U.S.) and Hillevi Brasch from ASVH (Sweden), and Ulf Wadeborn put together this wonderful, educational trip to Sweden, and the Young Horse Championships. Total were 15 people, breeders, riders, journalists, judge and some looking for horses to buy.

Day 1

Three of us from Minnesota flew to Copenhagen, Denmark, and a 19 mile train trip over the North Sea to Malmo Sweden.

Day 2

Started with a clinic and tour at Bollerup (an agricultural school and breeding farm), with a presentation by Karl Henrik –Heimdahl a member of the Swedish Warmblood Inspection Committee. The talk was on the Swedish breeding program, how they inspect and select among young horses and gave a hands-on explanation of the Blup Index ( rating for stallions), and how to use it when choosing a stallion for you mare. After lunch we were picked up by Bollerup students driving horse and carriage, giving us a guided tour around Bollerup, we also had a tour of a 14th century church. As we drove along I was handed the lines, I actually got to drive one of the teams, with a little coaching from the instructor.

After lunch a clinic was given in the riding arena. Karl-Henrik-Heimahl and Lasse Berglund (one of Sweden’s most renowned young horse jumping judges). talked about how to show horses at the three year old test in hand and in free jumping. We were all in the arena and were given the opportunity to judge the horses and ask questions, about both conformation and free jumping. Bollerup then showed us some of this years foal crop and talked about these young horses and how they are evaluated. Then a walk thru the barn and pastures with lots of mares and foals, we had a list of pedigrees on many of the horses for sale, to help us keep track.

After a wonderful day we were off to Simrishamn, Hotel Svea had a fantastic view right on the water, overlooking the Baltic Sea.

Day 3

We visited several stables,Grevlunda Stables in Skane owned by Peder and Lisen Fredricson, international show jumping riders. After a tour of their beautiful barn and a demonstration of Peder jumping we were welcomed into their home for coffee where we saw a display of their art and a movie on Peders fathers’ study on raising the young horse in the natural environment, the movie showed hilly rocky country with lanes for even the youngest foals to go over small obstacles, to help them develop into strong individuals.

We were in apple country and stopped to visit a bill board size display of apple art, and walked thru a village of small cottages with roses all around.

Kilhult Breeding Farm was next, near Horby owned by Ann and Torsent Pehrsson. Rambo 910 was presented to us he is a great example of their breeding program. They are the breeders of Hermes 1086 (at the championship he received a 86.66 score and the comment of 98% harmony between horse and rider) and Impuls 1139, who we saw later at the Championships. We also had the pleasure of seeing the elite mare Nicea, a foundation mare and her foals.

Tullstorp Dressage Stables, in Hasselholm and Jan Brink were our next stop. Jan gave us a tour down his wooded paths where he exercises the horses and his outdoor track were he gallops his horses. Tullstorp has the very best of everything! The footing in the huge indoor arena was white sand mixed with wax, to provide an excellent base for riding.

If I was a horse this looks like the place I would want to live. In the Stallion barn we saw, Briar who is Jan’s grand prix mount, Martini, Jan’s retired dressage horse, Okeanos, and First Wish who later won the 4 year old Championship and several other stallions.

Day 4

I went back to Tullstorp to watch and video Pam’s lesson with Jan, Pam had won a raffle at World Cup Vegas for lessons, also we watched Jan work some of his horses, a great learning experience watching as Jan schooled a horse on piaffe.

After Pam’s lesson we tried to catch the SWANA group at Maria Gretzers farm. This is the home of Felciano 823 a retired international show jumper, and Hip Hop 1045 Maria’s present jumper. Maria is the Chef d’equipe for the national show jumping team. I missed the demo of Hip Hop that day but was pleased to see her ride an exhibition ride at the championships later that week, it is awesome to watch the harmony between Maria and Hip Hop over fences and just throwing in a few flying changes just for fun, what a team! Maria is charming and witty, we were invited into her home for wine and or devours, Maria entertained us with stories, Maria and her parents were very gracious hosts.

We also went to Flyinge, the Swedish National Stud since 1661. I was a passenger in the car with Ulf so I did learn the correct pronunciation of “Flyinge”it took many miles and tries before I finally got it. We received a guided tour of the dressage and jumping barns, student stables and the famous indoor race track, the track was several hundred years old. We also got to see all of the stallions standing at Flyinge, Eighty Eight Keys a T.B., Quite Easy, and Robin Z with jumping blood lines and Power Boy, a German Riding Pony, and many others.

Day 5-8

We watched the Sport and Breeding Championships at Flyinge. With 2 arenas we could go between free jumping,

dressage, stadium jumping, a trade show, or watch horses in the warm up ring, or a walk thru the stalls to visit 600 or more horses. All of the dressage classes were scored out loud; if the judge spoke in Swedish we had headsets and a judge for an interpreter, this made it a very interesting learning experience. First Wish ridden by Jan Brink received a 9.7 on his walk and a 9.5 for overall impression, to win his 4 year old test. The jumping classes had a big screen for information on each horses breeding and scores. When they placed a jumping class, every one sang “Stand up for the Champion” (in English).

One of the evenings we went to diner with the ASVH board of directors and guests, in Lund. Kathleen had us all laughing at her Swedish word gjortle (I’m not sure of the spelling) we found out it didn’t translate to skirt, instead it meant a girdle. The former board president had us do an interesting salute. We stood on our chairs and placing our left foot on the pristine white table cloth (like mounting your horse) and then a rowdy cheers salute.

At Flyinge an afternoon was set aside where breeders with horses for sale could meet and share information, videos and pictures of their horses with the SWANA group. We met a lot of interesting new people, and collected information in case we wanted to buy a Swedish bred horse.

Saturday evening we had VIP seating for the young horse auction. We watched 20, 2 and 3 year jumping bred horses sold. Prices ranged from $12,000 to $109,000. We shared our table with 2 agents from Holland, and one of the organizers of the sale. Entertainment was a furry pony jumper, who was sold as a fund raiser.

We also visited the farm of Erik Lang the breeder of Master 850 now ridden by Kyra Kyrklund and Tip Top 962 now ridden by Leslie More. We walked thru the broodmares with foals at their side, foals by the very best stallions of Sweden.

The last thing before leaving Flyinge was a long lining demonstration by Bo Jena. Bo showed us many techniques for long lining, collection and turns and many skills of his horse in the lines.

An early train ride back to Copenhagen and a long flight home. I wouldn’t have missed this great experience; we were treated as honored guests in a beautiful country with excellent Swedish Warmblood Horses.

Thank you to SWANA and ASVH for a fabulous time. Val