Jessie Johansson: ”I want to become the best young horse trainer in the world”
From uncertain SM starts on a pony to an established career as a promising young rider. Jessie Johansson works as a young horse rider with Jan Brink and has been awarded the prestigious Ajax scholarship this year. Her goal? To become the world’s best young horse trainer. We have spoken more with Jessie about her journey from a background without great financial resources, nerves, and her expectations for the DressagePower Horse Show this autumn.
Horses have always been a part of Jessie Johansson’s life. With a family involved in horse racing and a mother who herself rode, it was natural that Jessie would also end up in the stables. For many years, she rode both dressage and show jumping, something she reluctantly admits.
”Mom thought it was good to do both, but really I was most afraid when I was about to jump. I’ve always been a bit cautious,” says Jessie. Eventually she completely switched to dressage and rode several Swedish Championships on a pony, but never made it to the final.
”I always had younger ponies so when they started to feel established in the classes, I was too old. But it has given me great experience to ride all the championships,” says Jessie.
Self-breeding in Future Stars
When the family bought her first thoroughbred, the idea was that it would be her future training and competition partner. But the horse became injured and then kissing spines were also noticed, which made her an breeding horse instead. ”My mom said: I’m sorry, but we put our last money on this horse,’ says Jessie. Instead, they chose to take a foal from the horse – and that foal, Flow, is the horse Jessie will now ride in Kersö Equestrian Future Stars at the DressagePower Horse Show.
So that Jessie wouldn’t have to stop riding, she got one of their young horses trained and ridden by supportive family friends. To continue developing, she chose to move to Germany – a decision that proved crucial.
The move to Germany – A tough but instructive culture
In Germany, Jessie experienced a completely different equestrian culture. ”You get immediately hooked on a horse. If you manage to do it, you get to ride more – otherwise not. They have so many horses that they can afford to test riders in that way. It’s their way of testing riders, and when it works really well, it’s really good, but sometimes the situation also gets tough,” she says.
For Jessie, it was a chance that gave her plenty of time in the saddle. She rode between eight and sixteen horses a day and worked, among other places, at DLZ Lodbergen, where Therese Nilshagen is also employed. There, the interest in the young horses also grew.
Getting started working in a stable is explained by Jessie as relatively simple. She Googled the email addresses of different stables and submitted applications. ”The worst that can happen is that you get a no—but then you contact them again or to another stable.”
After a few years she longed to return home and considered leaving horse riding altogether. But her love for the horses made it possible for her to return to the saddle soon afterwards.
New opportunities in Sweden
In 2021, Jessie started working with Jan Brink, and in 2025 she was awarded the Ajax scholarship – a scheme that provides both financial support and training opportunities.
”It feels incredible that someone outside believes in me. My parents have had completely ordinary jobs, so they didn’t have that much financial muscle when I was little, so they supported me in whatever way they could, so this feels extra special,” says Jessie.
She plans to use the scholarship to continue training with Jan Brink and also wants to train for Catherine Dufour.
The dream of the young horses
Jessie dreams of becoming the world’s best young horse rider. The Olympics is not an explicit goal – but the door is open if the opportunity arises. ”I want to ride more Young Horse World Championships, reach finals and preferably win a medal. That appeals the most. But if I get the chance to ride at the Olympics, I won’t say no, haha,” says Jessie.
At the DressagePower Horse Show, she will be starting Flow, a private breeding program that is based on the jumping horse Mr Vain. The mare is described as headstrong. ”You have to submit an application and see if it is approved,” laughs Jessie. Together, the team has competed in all the age groups and become stronger with each year.
The team’s biggest challenge is that the horse has a bit of stage fright, especially on indoor arenas. Therefore, Jessie is looking forward to riding at the DressagePower Horse Show and having the opportunity to train on such an arena. Jessie and Flow had the highest qualifying percentage of all those who registered at the end of June, which gave the team a gold ticket that secured their place in the final. This will be the first time Jessie rides the course, and she is fully working on developing a suitable course.
About nerves and strength
Jessie describes herself as a nervous person – but she also sees it as a strength. ”If I’m not nervous, nothing goes well.” She remembers how, at the pony championships year after year, she always rode out in the wrong direction. Today she has learned to turn the nervousness into something positive.
The secret is preparation: practicing so much that there is room to be able to lose focus for a second without everything falling apart. ”That allows me to perform despite the nerves.”
The family and her partner are her biggest support. ”They love me no matter what my performance is. My partner is not involved with the horses and it’s nice for me to have another life outside of sports. It gives me a break.”.
”Horses make me happy”
For Jessie, horseback riding is all about the joy of the interaction. ”Horses are so unpretentious. They make me happy.”
