On April 27, 2023, the Swedish Post issued a series of postage stamps dedicated to horses "From hobby to a gold medal".

A series of five postage stamps is dedicated to the Swedish equestrian sport. Everything from the breeding and training of horses, the training of young people in riding schools and ending with international equestrian competitions and Olympic medals, has found its place on postage stamps.

Kristina Olofsdotter, Head of Stamps at PostNord, noted that the sporting theme is always present on Swedish postage stamps. The same series was in many ways a tribute to the Swedish equestrian sport and the incredible successes achieved by the national show jumping team in recent years. Interest in equestrian sports is constantly growing among people of all ages, the stable has become a meeting place for generations. Maybe love for a toy horse on a stick will grow into a sincere love for horses. And equestrian sport will become a hobby for life or even the beginning of a successful sports career.

The postage stamps in the booklet are arranged in such a way that if you look from the bottom up, you can go all the way in equestrian sports: from children's toys to a gold medal.

Toy horses on sticks become the first horses for children, obedient to the will of their master. By the way, hobbyhorsing - "jumping" on a wooden stick with a horse's head - is not just child's play, it is a whole subculture and equestrian sport in miniature.
Hobbyhorsing originated in Finland in the 2010s, now it is successfully conquering neighboring countries and there are several reasons for this.
Firstly, making your own toys is about creativity and communication with friends. Secondly, riding a horse on a stick is a sports exercise that requires good physical fitness and coordination of movements. And finally, this is a real sport with its own rules and competitions. Like a real equestrian sport, it hosts dressage, show jumping, eventing and western riding competitions.

Photo: Jennie Bors

Such competitions in Sweden are becoming more and more popular, in various children's sports clubs even special tracks for horse racing are being built on sticks. The postage stamp was created using a photograph by Mattias Burling taken at the Overby Equestrian Association in Sollentuna.

The following stamp, based on a photograph by Ebba Häggström, features an adorable Trakehner foal from the Västra Hoby stud. Since the middle of the 20th century, the stud farm has specialized in breeding sport horses, mainly for dressage. The basis of the livestock are horses of the Trakehner breed, several thoroughbred mares for the stud farm were brought from Germany in the 1940s. For more than 100 years of operation, Västra Hoby has bred many high-class mares and stallions that have successfully competed in equestrian national and international competitions. Today, the Västra Hoby stud run by Tobias Hansson is one of the best in Sweden.

Next comes the training of young people in horseback riding. Three students of the Stenungsund Riding School unexpectedly ended up on a postage stamp. In addition to the usual training in the arena and horse rides around the area, in the summer school students have the opportunity to ride along the water's edge. This unforgettable feeling of complete unity not only with the horse, but also with the surrounding nature, charges you with positive energy and good mood for a long time. The photo was taken by Mikael Sjöberg about 8 years ago and unexpectedly it was selected when creating a postage stamp.

The photographs of the children in the stable were taken by Susanne Walström at another Swedish Riding School, Farsta Ridskola in Stockholm. It is one of the largest schools founded in the 1970s. The school offers quality classical riding education and prepares successful athletes with leadership qualities.

And finally, crowning the development of Swedish equestrianism is a postage stamp with the Swedish show jumping team of Henrik von Eckermann, Malin Birgitta Barijard Johnsson and Peder Fredricson, who won gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Additionally, on the right side of the stamp there is an image of Henrik von Eckermann, who became the winner of the World Show Jumping Championship in 2022.

Photo: Daniel Stiller and Emma Wallskog

Sources: www.postnord.se, ridsport.se