Harness racing (also known as trotting), is a popular sport in Sweden, with significant amounts of money wagered annually. In Sweden there are 33 harness racing tracks, which hold over 850 meetings annually. There are approximately 3,000 drivers and 6,000 trainers with about 18,000 horses in training.
Betting on horse racing is common in Sweden, the Swedish Horse Racing Totalisator Board being the second-biggest betting company there. [1]
Harness racing in Sweden is conducted with Standardbred or, in some races Scandinavian coldblood horses, racing around a track while pulling a driver in a two-wheeled cart called a "sulky". Racehorses compete in the gait of trotting. Races are most often conducted over distances from 1,609 metres (1 mile) to 3,140 metres. Most harness racing tracks typically measure 1,000 metres but there are examples of both longer and shorter tracks. [2]
Racing is administered by the Swedish Trotting Association, which is a part-owner of ATG, the Swedish Horse Racing Totalisator Board. [1]
Races are started in one of two ways, either from behind a mobile barrier, using a mobile start or from a circular starting system. The mobile barrier is a car with two long arms, behind which the horses line up before moving to the starting line. When the wings of the gate swing back, the starting vehicle speeds off, thus releasing the horses.
Elitloppet is an annual, invitational Group One harness event that has taken place at Solvalla Racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden since 1952. [3] The competition is regarded as one of the most prestigious international events in trotting.
Other important Group One races include the Swedish Trotting Derby, Swedish Trotting Criterium, Åby Stora Pris, Olympiatravet and Hugo Åbergs Memorial.
In the 19th century, the sport became more organized since the first clubs and meetings were held in different parts of Sweden. From 1898 to 1923, parimutuel betting was illegal. [4] [5]
In 1907, Jägersro Racetrack in Malmö was inaugurated. Today, it is the oldest race track for trotting in the country. [5]
In the 1927, Solvalla opened in Stockholm. It is today the largest harness racing venue in the Nordic countries. [5]
In 1950, the horse Scotch Fez won the Prix d'Amérique with driver Sören Nordin. It was the first significant international victory for Swedish harness racing. [6]
The first Elitloppet was run in 1952 under the name of Solvallas Jubileumslopp (approximately "Solvalla's Jubilee Race"). Winner the opening year was the German horse Permit. [6] The following year, the event changed name to Elitloppet. [6]
In 1993, the Swedish mare Queen L., driven by Stig H. Johansson, became the first horse born in Sweden to win the Prix d'Amérique. [6]
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait. They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia and New Zealand, races with jockeys riding directly on saddled trotters are also conducted.
Varenne is a dark bay racing trotter by Waikiki Beach out of Ialmaz by Zebu.
Elitloppet or Solvallas Internationella Elitlopp is an annual, invitational Group One harness event that has taken place at Solvalla Racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden, since 1952. The competition is regarded as one of the most prestigious international events in trotting. The winner is decided through two qualifying rounds and a subsequent final later the same day. Both the eliminations and the final are raced over the mile. The overall purse for the 2022 event was SEK11,350,000, equalling approximately US$1,073,000. In 2002 the Italian champion Varenne,, took it in a world record time of 1:10.4 in the elimination and then bested that mark by winning the final in 1:10.2 – the fastest mile ever trotted around three turns. The fastest winning time in a final is 1:08.9, run by the Swedish Don Fanucci Zet in 2021. Elitloppet was part of the European Grand Circuit and is part of that circuit's successor, the UET Masters Series.
Solvalla is a horse racing track located in Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden. It opened in 1927 and is the largest harness racing venue in the Nordic countries. The last Sunday in May, Solvalla annually hosts Elitloppet, one of the most prestigious international trotting events in the world.
Ernst Sören Nordin was a Swedish harness racing driver and trainer who later started a stable in America. Nordin won 3,221 races in 10 different countries as a driver, he won the Swedish Trotting Derby 11 times – still a record. In 1950, Nordin won the Prix d'Amérique, and in 1953 the Elitloppet. 21 times, Nordin was the champion driver at Solvalla racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden's premier track.
Victory Tilly is a Swedish former racing trotter by Quick Pay out of Icora Tilly by Fakir du Vivier.
Copiad was a Swedish breeding stallion and former racing trotter by Texas out of Bibbi Girl by Big Lama.
Ina Scot was a Swedish racing trotter by Allen Hanover out of Lovina Grefgård by Mad Scot.
Olympiatravet is an annual Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Åby Racetrack in Mölndal, 10 km south of Gothenburg, Sweden. The event was carried through for the first time in 1979. In 2009, the purse of the final was approximately US$326,000 (SEK2,750,000).
The Swedish Trotting Derby is an annual national Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Jägersro Racetrack in Malmö, Sweden. It is by many considered the most prestigious Swedish event for 4-year-old racing horses. The purse in the 2010 final was ≈US$442,000, of which the winner, Joke Face, won half.
Digger Crown was a Swedish breeding stallion and racing trotter by Lindy's Crown out of O'Chita by Linus T.
The Swedish Trotting Criterium is an annual national Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Solvalla in Stockholm, Sweden. It is considered one of the classic trotting events in Sweden as well as the most prestigious Swedish event for 3-year-old trotters. The purse in the 2008 final was ≈US$458,000, of which the winner Maharajah won half.
Jubileumspokalen or Solvallas Jubileumspokal is an annual Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Solvalla in Stockholm, Sweden. Jubileumspokalen has taken place since 1977. In 2008, the purse of the event was approximately US$281,000 (SEK1,750,000).
UET Masters Series is a harness racing series arranged by European Trotting Union. It was launched in 2012 as a successor of European Grand Circuit that was competed since 1956.
Johannes Wilhelm Arthur "Hänschen" Frömming was a German harness racing driver and trainer. He is one of the most legendary horsemen in European harness racing.
Jimmy Takter is a harness racing horse trainer based in East Windsor, New Jersey, who came to the U.S. in 1982. He was inducted into the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Nuncio is a dark racing trotter by Andover Hall out of Nicole Isabelle by Lindy Lane. Nuncio is owned and trained by Stefan Melander at Åby-Farm, Enköping, Sweden.
Joseph Cyril O'Brien was a Harness racing driver, trainer and owner who won the U.S. Trotting Triple Crown in 1955 and would be inducted into both the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, as well as Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Noted for his quiet dignity and diplomacy, he is considered one of the greatest harness horsemen in history.
Björn Olov Goop, is a Swedish trotting trainer and driver. Together with his father, Olle Goop, he runs one of Sweden's most successful training camps for trotting horses, Goop Stable, in their hometown, Kil, Värmland County.
Bertil Stefan Melander is a Swedish harness racing horse trainer and driver based at Åby-Farm in Enköping, Sweden.