Louise Etzner Jakobsson

Started: She first sat on a horse at age three and began taking lessons at age nine. She started competing in equestrian jumping at age 15 and worked for German rider Karsten Huck. She later switched to dressage when she was working for German rider Jurgen Koschel. Following her accident, she returned to the saddle after several months. (mayadelorez.com, 27 Dec 2021; ridsport.se, 18 Mar 2016; expressen.se, 26 Apr 2014) Reason: "It's hard to say what it was that made me stick with the horses. It just grew more and more. The summers spent on Gotland [Sweden] together with my best friend involved many horses, so my life eventually revolved around them." (mayadelorez.com, 27 Dec 2021) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (eurodressage.com, 16 Sep 2023) Awards: She was Sweden's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) In 2018 and 2022 she was named Role Model of the Year at the Para Sport Gala in Sweden. (ridsport.se, 06 May 2022; tidningenridsport.se, 29 Jan 2018) In 2015 and 2021 she was named Fighter of the Year at the Equestrian Gala in Sweden. (eurodressage.com, 25 Nov 2021; ridsport.se, 18 Mar 2016) In 2020 she was named Para Dressage Rider of the Year by Ridenews and the Kentaur magazine. (ridenews.se, 22 Feb 2020) Additional Info: NEW HORSE In July 2020 her horse Zernard, with whom she had competed since 2015, was retired by its owner at age 17 after the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed. "I'm terribly sad. Zernard has been better than ever and throughout his life has gotten better and better. But we did not dare to risk his health with such a long campaign." The same year she found a new horse, Goldstrike BJ, in the Netherlands, which was bought for her by Swedish rider Sofia Ridderstad. She went on to win silver in Grade IV individual freestyle on the mount at the 2020 Games. "My friend Helena Ager contacted a dressage judge she knows in Holland and asked for tips on horses that could fit for me. Pretty quickly a tip came back. We got several videos and I decided to go down and test drive 'Goldie', as he is called. I also tried a couple of other horses, but he was the right one. Sofia knows exactly how much horses and riding mean to me. She wanted to help me invest and said, 'I'm buying you a horse'. I couldn't believe that there are people who do such things for someone else." (dn.se, 09 Aug 2022; mayadelorez.com, 27 Dec 2021; eurodressage.com, 15 Jan 2021; svt.se, 01 Sep 2020; tidningenridsport.se, 01 Sep 2020)

Sporting Relatives: Her daughter Hanna Etzner represented Sweden in equestrian dressage at the 2006 European Junior Championships in Stadl-Paura, Austria. Her other daughter Lisa was a registered dressage rider with the International Equestrian Federation [FEI] in 2006. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Jun 2020; FEI database, 01 Jul 2007, 01 Jan 2006)