The Tölt Tales

The Tölt Tales Fika - Sverigeritten

• The Tölt Tales • Episode 5

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In the last Fika episode of season 1, we talk with Lisa, one of the driving forces behind "Sverigeritten", an event organised by the leisure section of the Swedish Icelandic horse association (SIF). We talk about how it developed over the years, different challenges to participate and in what other countries similar concepts can be found to date. 

We hope to inspire you with this very inclusive episode, joining your Icelandic horse friends and local associations to spend time together and out in the nature. 


Music by Cob.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @the_toelt_tales.

Ariane:

Come ride with us. Fika with The Tölt Tales Podcast. Today, we have a special guest with us again, Lisa. Hello, Lisa.

Lisa:

Hello.

Ariane:

Can you introduce yourself a bit to people who don't know you and don't know why we invited you today?

Lisa:

Yeah, my name is Lisa Tappr. I'm 43 years old. I have been a typical horse girl my entire life. Not Icelandic horses, but regular horses, peonies and blue horses. The Icelandic horses is more recently. And I think you invited me because I'm behind Sverigeritten.

Ariane:

Yes, exactly. That is a really interesting thing that we found on Facebook. I think I saw it the first time last year. And I followed a bit, but we didn't participate. And so we thought now we participate, and now we want to hear more about this. What is it actually? What was the idea? How did it start?

Lisa:

How did it start? It started with some other enthusiastic people than me and my friends in Fritidsikonen. It was mostly one person who invented this concept, and she's not involved anymore. But 2020, she arranged Sverigeritten, a relay race from one end of Sweden to another. I don't know if it was north to south or south to north, but it was from one end to another. And that was to inspire local clubs to meet. So the ride was from one club to another club, to the next club, to the next club.

Ariane:

Ah, okay. I did. Oh, wow.

Lisa:

Yeah. And it was a really big arrangement. And it took a lot of planning.

Ariane:

Yes, I can imagine.

Lisa:

So when this particular enthusiast didn't want to be in Fritidsikonen anymore, we were some other people who took over the concept. So the first Sverigeritten was relay race. Then it transformed to ridutmaning, like challenge yourself to ride. And that concept was a little bit different because of the COVID pandemic also. Yes. You couldn't arrange big meetings. So the point was to arrange smaller rides with your local club and invite other to come to you.

Ariane:

Ah, okay. That's nice.

Lisa:

So every time you invited other to come to you and ride, you could count the kilometers that you did. Even if no one showed up, you can count your own.

Ariane:

Yeah.

Lisa:

Yeah. So that was ridutmaning.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

And then we were a group of people who formed a new fritidssektionen and we wanted to take both concepts and make a new one. And the name was so good, Sverigeritten, so we wanted to have that name, but it's not a relay race anymore.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

Now you can count everything you do at home with the horse.

Ariane:

Okay. Yeah. So not just riding, you can do in principle also walk with the horse, bike with the horse, do some groundwork.

Lisa:

And also, if it's more people with you and the horse, and they are members, they can also count their kilometers.

Ariane:

So you can build a team.

Lisa:

Yeah. And you can get the family to join and the friends to join, even if you don't have more horses.

Ariane:

Ah, that is super interesting.

Lisa:

Yeah. Because we wanted the new Sverigeritten to be more open, to inspire, to get more people want to be members, even if they don't compete or if they don't have an own horse.

Ariane:

Yeah.

Lisa:

So you can count the riding lessons at the riding school. You can count if you bicycle with the kid or if your spouse runs with you when you ride. You both can count.

Ariane:

Wow. Okay. This is really nice. Yes. Now I jump off topic, but this is super interesting that you include everybody and make it so that it's not just about winning something, but you want to have people move and move together. This is a really nice idea.

Lisa:

I like that. And that's the big concept. Because when we did Sverigeritten, we got sponsored by Svenst Friluftsliv.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

We got a lot of money to get this project going, and they paid for some of the prices. They paid for the work that we do when we meet, to get this going, and a computer to register, you know, everything.

Ariane:

Ah, super nice.

Lisa:

So we got sponsored money. And the point of Svenst Friluftsliv is to engage people in nature.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

So that's the starting ground. And from that, we have the building block to be inconclusive.

Ariane:

Yeah.

Lisa:

And to get a feeling of being in your local club, even if you're not on the competitions.

Ariane:

Yeah. This is a really nice idea.

Lisa:

Yeah. And we have done this now for three years, 2023, 2024 and now 2025. And every year, we find something that you can spin off even more. Yeah. Like, okay, we don't get this group to participate. What can we do to make them want to join?

Ariane:

Okay. So you actively also try to engage with more people.

Lisa:

Yeah.

Ariane:

That's really nice.

Lisa:

We want to be like the talk of the town.

Ariane:

Yeah.

Lisa:

We want to be like, if you discuss, should I be a member in a local club? Yeah. Because the Fritidssektionen does so much fun. We want to join.

Ariane:

Yes. This is super nice.

Lisa:

Yeah. And I think we are on a good way to be the talk of the town.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

Like on the last Riksmöte in the National Association, SIF, Svenska Islatsförbundet. We were kind of a big part. Like even in the budget, because Sverigeritten gets more people to join, and more members, more money.

Ariane:

Yes, that's true. Actually, then is the question, how many active participants do you have?

Lisa:

The first year with Sverigeritten as it is now, we had about 300.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

The year after, we doubled it, 600. And this year, we have had several who have written in posts on Facebook that now my husband is also a member, or now my son is also a member.

Ariane:

Oh, wow.

Lisa:

My daughter is also now because of this.

Ariane:

This is really impressive.

Lisa:

So it's working.

Ariane:

Yes. This is really, really nice. But then, so you were at the Riksmelte for SIF. Is it also like then an official SIF sponsored project?

Lisa:

Yes.

Ariane:

Can you say that?

Lisa:

Especially this year, it's always been because when I say we get sponsored, everything goes through SIF. So it's not directly to Fritidssektionen.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

It goes to SIF and it goes to our budget in Fritidssektionen. So it's been official all the time, but this year even more because it was the SIF styrelse board who wanted us to do something for 50 year anniversary.

Ariane:

Yes. Exactly. We need to talk about those extra challenges.

Lisa:

And they said, do something. And we're like, okay, maybe it is. So it's very much true, SIF.

Ariane:

Yes. Okay. And because SIF is celebrating 50 years this year, so you had, for example, this year you had the PASC Tevelling or PASC, like PASC, the Easter challenge.

Lisa:

That's every year. And that, and with that, we want to capture people who maybe don't get a lot of kilometers. I have a friend in my stable. She's over 60 years old and not have to be an obstacle. Absolutely not. But she can, she can ride maybe two, three kilometers.

Ariane:

Yeah.

Lisa:

Can't walk on walks with her horse. And but she can join in the Easter challenge and get a hundred kilometers at once.

Ariane:

Ah, I should have maybe also tried to be a bit busy now during Easter with the family. But I was also thinking now as like working like long hours, I sometimes struggle to get many kilometers. And I know that I will probably be in, in really at the bottom of the list. But I'm, I'm trying to kind of every time I do something with my horse, I try to log it in so that I at least collect a couple of kilometers. So that's, that's really my, my drive for that. But this is really nice. So the first challenge was for people who can, because there you had also that you can do like groundwork with your horse. And I saw that you had like extra things with the, like a bit of decoration, Easter style decoration.

Lisa:

It's almost an Easter theme. And the biggest point is not to win the 100 kilometers. It's inspired to do fun things. And the fun, we feel it's so funny with the ones joining in the Easter challenge, that's not joining at all in the other, like in Sverigeritten. Because Easter challenge is, some people, they just want to do that. And they look forward to it. And some children especially have been joining now for three years. And they're like, I can't wait to next year. That's the big thing for them. Not Sverigeritten.

Ariane:

Yes, it looked really nice on Instagram, Facebook, actually, to see all those colourful posts and kind of join everybody on their challenges. I think this is also a very community feeling, very inclusive again, to just have everybody participate and having like very positive feeling about those things. So I really enjoyed that.

Lisa:

We do, also, when we get to look at every participant, when we see the joy in the Sverigeritten group on Facebook.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

And the most fun thing is that the ones who says, this is the thing, this is the thing I want to do every year. So that will not go away.

Ariane:

No, exactly.

Lisa:

Maybe we can do some minor spin-off on the fall also, or in wintertime.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

Because now......period with no Sverigeritten.

Ariane:

Yeah, that's true. Because it is from February to September, right? So it is more like the summer months where people can actually actively go and use trails, because maybe in some areas, this is not possible.

Lisa:

Yeah, maybe not in February either, but the period is because that works for us. Yes, because we have to have some time to summarize, to send our prices and to plan the next year.

Ariane:

Yeah, true.

Lisa:

So at first, it was, I think, it was February 1st, then one year, which we started 1st of January. But then now February is nice because we have a month to gather who want to be in FitiSekone this year and who will pull this, what do we want to do more?

Ariane:

And I mean, you also, you don't do this as a main job, right? So you also do this on the side. So it takes time and takes time also away from other things then. So of course, for the 50 years of SIF, can we just briefly talk about the challenge for that then?

Lisa:

Yeah, it's 50 activity, of course.

Ariane:

Okay. Yes, makes sense.

Lisa:

And very much is about the number 50. Like one activity is photograph horses, which age together combined is 50 years.

Ariane:

Okay, that's fun.

Lisa:

You have to like cooperate with other people around you, because you don't maybe have three horses that are 50 years old.

Ariane:

So, though we heard already from several people that Icelandic horses, you start to collect them and you just get more and more. Yeah, but not everyone. No, that's true.

Lisa:

So, you have to maybe reach out to someone else. And the point of 50-year anniversary challenge is not that one person does all 50. It's that the local club does all 50. Ah, okay. So, maybe I can, if I engage in this in my local club, I can like, okay, I can do these things. But do I know anyone who can do that?

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

And then the point is to reach out.

Ariane:

Again, networking, collaboration.

Lisa:

It's not very much promoted yet, because it's time restricted. We have limited time. So, it has been all about starting the Sverigeritten. It's been Riksmut, it's been Easter. And so, maybe we will take more power into this in the late end of the season.

Ariane:

But maybe now when people are listening to the podcast, maybe there are more people signing up and trying to achieve more of those 50 challenges. That would be really nice.

Lisa:

Yeah, and Sverigeritten, of course.

Ariane:

Yes, exactly. But then, can you actually participate from another country?

Lisa:

Yeah, you have to be a member of a local club in Sweden.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

If you want to be joining the Swedish Sverigeritten.

Ariane:

Yeah, okay.

Lisa:

But Finland has their own.

Ariane:

Okay, so there is something similar also in other countries.

Lisa:

Yeah, and they took it from us.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

Because one person took, in Finland, took contact with Fritidssektionens chairman, Ordförande.

Ariane:

Yeah, the chairman.

Lisa:

After the first year.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

And they said, we want to do this, please help us. How can we do this? And they took our concept and made it theirs. So in Finland, it's called Koko Samo Töltö.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

It means, roughly translated, the whole country of Finland is tolting.

Ariane:

Wow.

Lisa:

And I think they only take riding.

Ariane:

Okay. Yeah.

Lisa:

But they have a group with the same name.

Ariane:

So this is really, it would be, honestly, I think it would be super nice to see more countries doing this, because it is about, I think this is something that we hear from so many guests that we had for the podcast, that a lot of people enjoy this community feeling, the coming together, the networking with people that have like a similar mindset. And I think this, what you do is, is really kind of pushing in that direction even more, to really engage people to come together and do something together. It's a great concept. I'm really happy that we found you.

Lisa:

Thank you. And I'm really happy that we have two people in Fritidssektionen that wants to go abroad and talk about this. And they already have, because they took it to the FIFE conference also.

Ariane:

Ah, okay.

Lisa:

FIFE.

Ariane:

Yes, exactly, the International Federation. This is really interesting. So it might actually spread now from Sweden over Finland to more countries.

Lisa:

Yeah.

Ariane:

Yeah?

Lisa:

When we talk about Finland, we have to name that they have something called Finkampen, but it is a week, and that week, the Finland group of Tölting will compete against Sverigeritten.

Ariane:

Okay.

Lisa:

So we have a project. I think it's in July or August. It's not me holding in that. So I just hear about it, but we will compete against Finland for one week. And as always, check on Facebook, or especially on the web page.

Ariane:

Yes.

Lisa:

SIF's web page, because everything new we do will come out there as a new news.

Ariane:

Yes. We will put the links for the website and also the Facebook group into the description of the episode, so that people can directly click on it. Super nice. So you say people collect their kilometers, and then you upload it, and then there will be a price still. It's not about winning necessarily, but actually everybody gets a price, right? In the end.

Lisa:

Everybody gets a price.

Ariane:

Like a rosette. Yeah, a rosette.

Lisa:

Yeah. Every participant gets a rosette.

Ariane:

This is really nice. This is actually, I think, why Lionel and I signed up as well, because we just wanted a nice rosette, because we knew that we're not going to do super good in our kilometers, but we wanted to also be part of it, and contribute to something.

Lisa:

Everyone who joins gets a chance of winning the other prices, because it will only be by lottery.

Ariane:

Yes. So we still have a chance.

Lisa:

You have the same chance as someone who sends in 3,000 kilometers.

Ariane:

That is good to know. Very good. You said that some people don't participate necessarily with more than one horse, but are there people that you see that participate with more than one horse?

Lisa:

Yes, absolutely. Because every horse is welcome. We don't like to go out and say, Sverigeritten is for all horses. We don't promote that. No.

Ariane:

It goes by a SIF exactly. Then it is more Icelandic horses and it counts for that.

Lisa:

But nowhere, nowhere in the rules, it says Icelandic horse. No. Okay.

Ariane:

So if you would have a Shetland... Yes, exactly. So you have a Shetland pony, you can also walk with your Shetland pony.

Lisa:

Yeah. I have three Shetland ponies and the three Icelandic in the family. Two is youngsters, so they don't participate yet. But mostly of my kilometers is by walking.

Ariane:

Walking the ponies. Yeah, but this is really nice.

Lisa:

And also the Icelandic horse, because I walk her a lot also.

Ariane:

Yeah.

Lisa:

And we have members who have a Shetland pony's day drive. We have, you know, it can be a metallic horse, you know, you can ride a bicycle behind, or tricks to someone who rides a horse.

Ariane:

You don't have to have the horse, but you need to be registered within association.

Lisa:

Yeah. You have to be part of a local club.

Ariane:

And then I actually have just two last questions. What was the highest kilometers for like a team, as a local association, and for an individual? That would be something very interesting.

Lisa:

The highest number of an individual participant is like about 3000 kilometers in one season.

Ariane:

Wow. Okay.

Lisa:

And for one local club, I have to look in my papers, but it's almost 17,000 kilometers.

Ariane:

This is crazy. This is really impressive.

Lisa:

But it's also the thing you mentioned. Put the GPS or the app on every time you do something.

Ariane:

Yes, exactly.

Lisa:

Because a kilometer there, a kilometer there, a kilometer there, that sums up. But if you like, I only started when I ride long. That's not the same.

Ariane:

No, exactly. You need to do it for every session that you do.

Lisa:

Yeah. And you can get like the inspiration. Like, say you ride training in the paddock and you're like, okay, I have trained for 40 minutes. Maybe I should take a walk in the woods after. Then I can get 100 to 200 kilometers. Yeah, I do that.

Ariane:

Yes, that's true.

Lisa:

You get inspired to do something little more.

Ariane:

Yeah, but also I think the Facebook group shows that really nice, so that you get inspirations from others. What they do, they post pictures and you feel like, ah, I could try this, I could do that. So I think this is a really nice thing.

Lisa:

So you want the total numbers also?

Ariane:

Yes. Actually, when you have, shoot all the good numbers.

Lisa:

Yeah. The first year we had this concept, 2023, we had 98,800 kilometers. That's more than two laps around the earth.

Ariane:

This is crazy.

Lisa:

Yeah. And in 2024, we almost doubled that, 181,000 kilometers.

Ariane:

Wow. People are riding.

Lisa:

Yeah. And walking and bicycling.

Ariane:

And walking and biking and doing things outside. That is actually, then we come to an end in our episode. Thank you so much, Lisa, for joining us today and talking about Sverigeritten and this really inspirational bringing together of people with Icelandic horses in the nature. I'm very fascinated by that. And as always, do not hesitate to share this episode and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates. Goodbye.

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