By Ellinor Andersson, Anette Sånesson / SWB
Photography: Roland Thunholm; SWB/Michaela Swärd
The Swedish Warmblood Stallion Performance Test was held for the fifth consecutive year at Ridskolan Strömsholm, just outside Västerås, Sweden, from March 17-22, when a total of 42 stallions lined up at the start of the test.
They were presented along with a handful of stallions with merits from performance tests in other countries or competitions, which were only evaluated based on veterinary and conformation assessments.
The line-up featured a mix of international and Swedish bloodlines, several with strong Swedish dam lines. SWB was well represented among the dressage stallions, with 15 out of 16 three- to five-year-olds being originally registered with SWB. Among the 23 showjumping stallions aged three to five years old, 12 were originally registered by SWB.
The international test riders for the show jumpers were newcomers to this event, with Irish rider Eoin McMahon and German rider Christian Hess taking on the roles. “It was a great experience to test ride such fantastic stallions. They were all pleasant to ride, and I think we had some shared favorites,” Eoin McMahon said.
On the dressage side, the well-established international duo of Philipp Hess, Germany and Theo Hanzon, the Netherlands once again served as test riders. “It is always a pleasure to ride young horses,” Theo Hanzon said. “We got to ride some really, really nice stallions this year, especially some of the five-year-olds, who were very high quality and well educated. A true joy.”
Throughout the week, the stallions were thoroughly evaluated, and by the end of the test, 20 stallions met the high standards required for approval at the premium level – 13 showjumping and seven dressage stallions. An additional 16 stallions were accepted for breeding, meeting a lower level of approval, consisting of nine showjumping stallions and seven dressage stallions.
Stallion Performance Test winners 2025
Each year, the highest-scoring four-year-old stallions in dressage and showjumping are named the winners of the performance test...
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