‘This felt right’: five-star Irish showjumper switches to ride for Sweden

Irish showjumper Thomas Ryan has switched nationality to represent Sweden, with hopes of championships in the future.

The 40-year-old has been based in Sweden since 2019 and runs his business Ascend Showjumping with his wife Erica Swartz-Ryan.

“This is the best thing I could do. It’s something I’ve had in mind for several years. Now I can become even more involved in Swedish showjumping,” said Thomas.

“When I got my Swedish passport, this felt right, even though it was a big decision. I live and work in Sweden and have not lived in Ireland for over 20 years. My horse owners and the collaboration with them is of course incredibly important and I am happy that I can make life a little easier for them now.”

Thomas competes at the top level with his string of horses, including Jezebeau BC, Million’s Grey and Connoisseur PWR, whom he rode at the Mechelen CSI5*-W in Belgium last month. He last represented Ireland at a Nations Cup in June 2024, and under FEI rules he can ride for Sweden in team competitions from June 2026.

“It will be very exciting to follow him and the horses. As a rider, he has all the qualities for championships,” said Sweden’s team captain Henrik Ankarcrona.

“Sweden needs more riders who can climb the rankings and everyone who performs is welcome in a Swedish team. We have had a dialogue about this for a long time and it feels really good that it is in place now.

“He is a rider that we know well and he has been well established in Sweden for quite some time. He is a strong rider who has shown for a long time that he can perform. I am also very happy that there are stable Swedish horse owners where the cooperation works very well.”

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