Viktoria Carlerbäck and Diesel Hästak (SWB) are one of the combinations participating in the Young Eventing Talents project, pictured here during the 2026 Breeders Trophy. Photo: Michaela Swärd/SWBHyperion Stud is making a long-term commitment to Swedish-bred event horses through an expanded partnership with Young Eventing Talents (Unga Fälttävlanstalanger, UFT). New awards recognising outstanding SWB-horses, breeders and riders within the programme will be introduced already in 2026. The next step will be a major scholarship initiative starting in 2027, providing financial support for the training and development of SWB-horses within the programme, as well as financial support for breeders and owners whose SWB-horses make it all the way to the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championship for Young Horses.
Young Eventing Talents (UFT) is a joint initiative by SWB and the Swedish Equestrian Federation aimed at identifying young horses with the potential for future international eventing and giving them the right conditions to progress towards international sport.
– The collaboration between breeding and sport is absolutely essential if we want to produce more Swedish-bred horses for international eventing. Through Young Eventing Talents, we can identify horses at an early stage and follow their development, and Hyperion Stud’s commitment now further strengthens the conditions for these horses to continue progressing through the right training and competition programme. It gives us even better opportunities to work towards the Young Horse World Championships and future championships with a long-term perspective, says Fredrik Bergendorff.
The partnership with Hyperion Stud will also increase the opportunities to provide financial support throughout the costly journey from promising young horse to international competition horse. The aim is to encourage Swedish breeders, owners and riders to continue investing in the most promising SWB horses and to create better conditions for them to reach the Young Horse World Championships and, in the longer term, international championships.
– We want to help create the right conditions for SWB-horses throughout their entire journey. Identifying talent is one thing, but what follows are several years of dedicated education, training and competition before a horse can reach its full potential. Through this initiative, we want to make a tangible investment in the horses and people making that journey and, hopefully, help more Swedish-bred horses reach the highest level of international sport, says Vicky Castegren, founder and owner of Hyperion Stud.
As a first step, Hyperion Stud will introduce new awards for SWB-horses within Young Eventing Talents in 2026.
The highest-ranked five-, six- and seven-year-old SWB horse within UFT, based on the Swedish Equestrian Federation rankings as of 1 October, will each be recognised. The horses will receive a Hyperion rug and rosette, while their owners and breeders will receive a plaque and diploma.
A new award, UFT Rider of the Year, will also be introduced, recognising a rider or young horse trainer who has particularly distinguished themselves during the year. Competition results and achievement of individual goals will be considered alongside engagement within UFT and the ability to serve as a positive role model in the training and development of young event horses.
From 2027, the initiative will expand to include financial support. Hyperion Stud will provide SEK 30,000 each to three six- or seven-year-old SWB-horses within UFT – a total of SEK 90,000 per year.
The scholarships are intended to support the horses’ continued development, with a particular focus on training and the development of the young horse. Applications for the 2027 scholarships are planned to open in November 2026. Recipients will be selected by representatives from UFT together with SWB, the Swedish Equestrian Federation and Hyperion Stud.
The initiative will also include a special scholarship linked to the Young Horse World Championships. SEK 30,000 will be awarded to the breeder and owner of an SWB-horse within UFT that is selected for and competes at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championship for Young Horses.
– We want to recognise the entire chain. The breeder lays the foundation, the owner has the confidence to continue investing, and the rider and trainer develop the horse’s talent. If we want more SWB-horses to reach the Young Horse World Championships and, later, international championships, we need both to recognise the work being done and help create the financial conditions that allow that work to continue. That is exactly where we hope Hyperion can make a difference, says Vicky Castegren.
The full criteria and application terms for the 2027 scholarships will be presented when applications open.
SWB är en rikstäckande avelsorganisation med syfte att stödja och utveckla avel, uppfödning, utbildning och marknadsföring av svenska varmblodiga hästar. Swedish Warmblood är internationellt konkurrenskraftiga i hoppning, dressyr och fälttävlan. Svenska varmblod i världsklass produceras av våra SWB-uppfödare. De står för en lång tradition av naturlig och hållbar avel av moderna rid- och sporthästar.
