Managing director quits, show jumping committee dismissed - how a U13 child protection rule is shaking up Swedish equestrian sport

U13 Controversy Sweden: How child protection policy triggered an association crisis

Other Equestrian Sports 23.01.2026

from Kim C Lundin

Competitive sport in Sweden for children under the age of 13 has plunged the association into a crisis. Photo: kimc.nu/Kim Lundin

What began as a political decision on child protection for U13s in Sweden has developed into one of the most serious internal conflicts in Swedish equestrian sport in just a few weeks. Even the show jumping committee has resigned. And so has the managing director. EQUI PAGES Scandinavia correspondent Kim Lundin with the background.

At the center of the dispute is a new age limit introduced by the Swedish association, Svenska Ridsportförbundet (SvRF). Following this decision, children under the age of 13 are no longer allowed to take part in competitions at elite level – this includes international competitions, national championships and finals in national series. The association argues that the rule is intended to protect children from specializing too early and from excessive pressure, and to bring Swedish equestrian sport more in line with the national guidelines for children’s sport, which the umbrella organization for Swedish sport, Riksidrottsförbundet, published more than ten years ago.

The reactions were anything but calm.

Loud U13 debate, but narrow basis in Sweden

The public backlash was fierce, especially on social media. Trainers, elite riders, pony professionals and parents of highly competitive children protested loudly. The decision posed a threat to talent development. And for international competitiveness. Even top athletes such as Olympic medal winners Peder Fredricson and Henrik von Eckermann as well as other squad riders expressed their clear opinion early on in an open letter. This was surprising, as they have rarely publicly intervened in debates about the governance of the federation, including other highly controversial issues such as animal welfare or cases of animal abuse.

Tournament restriction U13

A petition calling for the decision to be reversed has collected just over 2,100 signatures. In an association with around 140,000 members, this is not a mass movement. Rather, it is a very vocal and influential group within the sport – including trainers, horse dealers and families whose children are already riding at a professional level and who have a direct financial or professional interest in elite youth competitions.

This does not invalidate their concerns, but it is important to understand what this conflict is all about. The debate is not just about the grassroots on one side and the association leadership on the other. Economics, career paths and status within the sport are also factors that play a role here.

Association leadership wobbles at a critical moment

The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of unexpected instability at the top of the equestrian federation. In November 2025, Johan Fyrberg, Secretary General and CEO of the SvRF, announced that he intended to step down at the end of June 2026. An orderly transition was planned to allow time for the search for a successor. Fyrberg explained that his decision was not based on financial reasons or international controversies. He spoke of strategic differences: He did not want to lead another strategy process beyond the one he had committed to when he was elected.

However, this plan changed abruptly.

Everything was still fine back then: The then Secretary General of the Swedish Equestrian Federation Johann Fryberg (center) and President Sandar Ruuda (right) at an award ceremony in Stockholm 2025. photo: kimc.nu/Kim Lundin

Managing director resigns and leaves

On January 14, 2026, in the middle of the escalating debate about the age limit, the SvRF announced that Fyrberg would be stepping down. With immediate effect. No detailed explanation was given. The search for a person who could succeed Fyrberg has been put on hold. Maria Guggenberger has been appointed interim Secretary General.

For critics of the decision regarding the 13-year age limit, Fyrberg’s sudden resignation reinforced the impression that the association is obviously under strong pressure. The association, on the other hand, wanted the resignation to be understood as a pragmatic step to avoid a vacuum in the top management – especially in view of the intense discussion. Whichever point of view you agree with, one thing is clear: continuity at the top of the association was no longer guaranteed at precisely the time when clarity and trust were most urgently needed.

Jumping committee in Sweden dismissed after U13 debate

Two days earlier, on January 12, the association’s board had already taken another dramatic step: The entire show jumping committee was dismissed with immediate effect. It is important to know that show jumping is the largest equestrian discipline in Sweden, as in the rest of the world, and the committee was made up of experienced riders, A-level trainers, judges and course designers. The official reason given by the federation was that repeated attempts at dialog had failed and cooperation was no longer possible.

Jumping committee against U13 rule

What made the decision controversial was that the show jumping committee had openly distanced itself from the U13 policy – not from the principle of the best interests of the child, but from the way in which the decision had been made and communicated.

The association conceded that the internal positioning could have been clearer, but insisted that the age limit was a landmark political decision whose implementation details were still under discussion.

Unprecedented joint response

On January 15, the conflict escalated further when all dismissed members of the jumping committee jointly published an open letter. Such unanimity is virtually unprecedented in the history of the SvRF. The show jumping committee was traditionally one of the most internally controversial bodies in the federation, often characterized by strong personalities and competing interests. The fact that its former members now spoke with one voice was remarkable in itself.

In the letter, which was published by the two major Swedish equestrian media, Hippson and Tidningen Ridsport, the former committee members rejected the federation’s claim that the dialog had failed. They stated that they had never met with the association chairman or the board, that mediation had neither been offered nor refused. On the contrary, there was only one documented meeting – with representatives of the tournament sports department at the beginning of January.

Compromise is actually available

According to the committee, this meeting had resulted in a draft for a workable compromise regarding the rules for the U13 age group in Sweden, which had been supported by several members of the tournament sports department. In their view, the subsequent rejection was not the result of a perceived stalemate, but the board’s unwillingness to accept changes to a decision that had already been made.

Basically, the letter questioned the decision-making process itself. The committee argued that the age limit was not just a political requirement, but a concrete rule change, adopted without any written analysis, impact assessment or documented alternatives. It had been decided in a small “inner circle”. Expert committees were deliberately excluded. The committee’s criticism: Subsequent justifications had been presented, in the view of the show jumping committee, as planning.

Clear words from the show jumping committee

Niklas Jonsson, Chairman of the Swedish Show Jumping Committee until January 2026. Photo: kimc.nu/Kim Lundin

The tone of the letter was unusually sharp. It warned of a trend towards increasingly centralized, top-down management, in which divergent professional opinions would be marginalized rather than integrated.

It is no longer primarily about children starting competitions, but about how power is exercised within a member-based association.

The chair of the Swedish association, Sandra Ruuda, has since argued that this presentation of the facts contains several factual errors. However, she has declined to provide evidence to the contrary point by point, stating that the entire procedure followed the association’s common values and code of conduct.

Opposition at the grassroots level

A number of regional equestrian associations within the SvRF are said to have sent formal letters criticizing both the U13 decision and the procedure behind it. Voices from the regions and districts have even gone so far as to call for an extraordinary general assembly.

Although regional differences of opinion are nothing unusual in themselves, it is the timing that counts. Within just four days, opposition arose simultaneously at expert, professional and regional level. This coincidence of timing turned a controversial rule into a full-scale association crisis.

Why age limits are not as simple as they sound

International observers may find the Swedish debate difficult to understand. Much of the excitement stems from the fact that the age regulations in equestrian sport are already complex and highly differentiated.

At international level, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) generally allows riders up to the age of 16 to compete on ponies, depending on the discipline and class. Pony sport is recognized as a high-performance sport in its own right and not just as a preliminary stage for the sport on large horses.

Sweden has historically been more tolerant at national level than the FEI, allowing riders to compete on ponies up to the age of 20, balanced by strict pony size categories and rules (see below) for the rider/pony pairs. The aim of this system was to allow for gradual development and to avoid young riders being prematurely placed on horses.

Eventing in Sweden already operates according to a differentiated age model, which was adapted a few years ago in line with the recommendations of the umbrella organization Riksidrottsförbundet in 2007: Riders up to the age of 13 compete in adapted classes, while those aged 14 to 20 form a separate category. This structure has been in place for years without major controversy and is often cited as an example of age-appropriate development.

The current conflict is therefore not about whether children should be protected. It is about how protection is defined, how quickly rules are changed and whether discipline-specific realities are taken into account.

Money is not discussed publicly

One issue that remains almost completely untouched in the many debates on social media and elsewhere is the fact that money is also at stake. Several observers point out that for many of the most vocal and active opponents, part of their livelihood is at stake when it comes to the under-13s decision. Buying and selling ponies, training young children and helping parents find the ‘right partner’ on four legs is a lucrative business. At a time when even small ponies, Swedish B ponies, are selling for 40,000 to 100,000 euros if they have the right attitude, age and ability, the stakes are high.

Children are exposed to pressure

The high cost of buying a show pony inevitably puts pressure on children to perform well so as not to devalue the family’s investment. Most people would probably agree that such pressure on children under the age of 13 is less than ideal. More importantly, the proposed rule changes do not exclude children under the age of 13 from competing in general, but do exclude them from competing in national leagues and championships in this age group.

Sandra Ruuda: Reform-oriented chairwoman in a divided association

At the center of the storm is Sandra Ruuda, Chairwoman of the SvRF since May 2023. Ruuda made history as the first woman to head the association in its 111-year history. Her background differs from that of many of her predecessors. She is primarily known as a business-oriented leader with extensive experience in organizational development and leadership consulting. She previously managed a riding school and held elected offices at association, district and national level. In other words, from an organizational perspective and also in terms of good governance, Ruuda’s background fits the profile of a president. She is neither a lightweight nor an opportunist. Nor is she an upstart, quite the opposite.

A picture from better times: Sandra Ruuda, President of the Swedish Equestrian Federation, and Secretary General Johan Fyrberg are seen at a gala. In the meantime, Fyrberg has surprisingly resigned. Photo: kimc.nu/Kim Lundin

She is still closely involved in daily equestrian life, riding regularly and spending much of her time as a “pony parent” in the stables. From the outset, Ruuda has emphasized values such as safety and animal welfare as guiding principles, alongside the goal of modernizing management structures and making decision-making processes more transparent.

Association insists on new regulation

In an interview published on January 14, 2026, Ruuda described the immediate resignation of Johan Fyrberg as unspectacular and amicable and explained that talks about his dismissal had already taken place well before Christmas. She emphasized that the appointment of an interim Secretary General served to ensure continuity.

She was also unequivocal about the content of the decision for the under-13 age group and stated that she still had full confidence in the approach taken, even if the debate had now shifted to procedural issues.

Ruuda’s leadership style is also characterized by her international role. In October 2025, she was elected to the board of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) for a four-year term. The EEF works closely with the FEI and plays an important role in coordinating the European federations on governance and development policy issues.

Supporters see this as strengthening Sweden’s international influence. Critics argue that there is a risk of prioritizing external conditions over national circumstances. Either way, Ruuda’s leadership style is now being judged not only domestically, but also in a broader European context.

Looking back on the many heated controversies and difficult relationships between her predecessor Ulf Brömster and the media, it is clear that the criticism directed at him was a mere breeze compared to the verbal attacks Ruuda is subjected to online.

Conflict continues to smoulder

The U13 decision has not been reversed. The association considers it to be necessary and correct from a long-term perspective in order to ensure the well-being of children. Critics argue that the process lacked transparency, analysis and involvement of experts and that the consequences were not adequately assessed.

It is clear that the controversy is now about far more than just an age limit. It has revealed tensions between professional expertise and the authority of the association, between symbolic politics and practical implementation, and between reform ambitions and institutional trust.

For Swedish equestrian sport, the question is no longer just how children should participate in competitions, but also how decisions that shape the future of the sport are made, justified and anchored in the rules.

This question remains unanswered.

Pony sport and age rules for riders in Sweden

Pony size classes (Sweden)

Sweden (SvRF) Pony size classes (A-D), measured at the withers:

Category A: ≤ 107 cm

Category B: > 107 cm to ≤ 130 cm

Category C: > 130 cm to ≤ 140 cm

Category D: > 140 cm to ≤ 148 cm

FEI

The FEI defines a pony as a maximum of 148 cm without horseshoe / 149 cm with horseshoe (rounded according to FEI measurement rules).

In Sweden, riders were previously allowed to compete on ponies up to the age of 20, as long as they remained within the appropriate pony size category. This is more liberal than the international FEI rules.

Official age rules – Swedish Equestrian Federation (SvRF TR I 2025)

Minimum age of riders

Riders may take part in competitions from the calendar year in which they turn 8 years old.

Rider categories

SvRF defines age categories that apply to all disciplines (on a calendar year basis):

Children: Riders aged 12 to 14 years

Juniors: up to 18 years

Young riders: 16 to 21 years

Seniors: from 19 years (vaulting from 16 years)

U25: 16-25 years

Age limits for pony riders

SvRF has specific age limits for pony competition categories (calendar year rule):

A- and B-Ponnyryttare (small/medium ponies): up to and including the calendar year in which the rider turns 13 years old (i.e. after this year the riders are no longer eligible to participate).

C- and D-Ponnyryttare (large ponies): up to and including the calendar year in which the rider turns 20 years old.

Riders who have just passed these age limits for ponies can sometimes still compete in pony classes as “överårig” (over-aged) under certain rules.

Definitions of fringe size

Ponies are defined as horses up to 148 cm tall with horseshoes, but the A-B-C-D classification used in Swedish competitions follows the SvRF pony rules.

How this relates to the controversy surrounding the age limit of 13

According to the current TR rules, riders on A and B ponies are automatically excluded from the pony classes after the year in which they turn 13. Riders on C and D ponies can compete at national level up to the age of 20, even in higher classes.

The SvRF’s new elite competition rule goes beyond these TR age categories: From 2027 to 2029, riders under the age of 13 may not participate in elite competitions, national championships or nationwide series, regardless of the pony category. However, detailed rules for nationwide series at a lower level still need to be discussed and defined.

This means that the debate is not just about the basic rules, but about how an additional age limit of 13 for elite competitions overrides the existing structure – a measure that hits show jumpers particularly hard, as riders can currently compete at a high level on C ponies well before the age of 13.