V86: The Edströms allow themselves to enjoy the ride
It took over 30 years, but finally, the horse with that little something extra arrived.
Four-year-old Done Deal has cruised to four straight victories this year and will be a major hometown favorite in Wednesday’s V86 in Skellefteå.
Breeders and trainers Per and Tina Edström have decided to allow themselves to enjoy the ride.
"He almost died as a foal, and now he’s the favorite on Wednesday and feels amazing. If you can’t be optimistic now—then when can you?"
When Done Deal was six months old, he stepped into a crack in the floor of the shed where he was sleeping and injured himself so severely that his right front hoof split in two.
Veterinarians thought there was no other option but to put the foal out of his misery. But one last chance remained—an emergency trip to a veterinarian in Finland. That same night, the bloodied little foal was treated with drainage and a cast.
The amateur training couple, Per and Tina Edström, from the village of Gummarksnoret outside Skellefteå, were given odds of 50/50 that the horse would survive. And he did—emphatically.
"Early in training, I could tell he had a different gear compared to the others we’ve had. We’ve had some good horses, but Done Deal has something they didn’t. Sure, the problems kept coming, but he’s overcome everything," says Tina, who runs a small breeding operation and trains horses with her husband, Per.
As a two-year-old, Done Deal was kicked in the jaw by a pony and required surgery. At three, he was sidelined by a persistent cold.
"It hasn’t been easy for him, which is why he didn’t debut until he was four. We cried our eyes out saying goodbye to him when he was a foal. His little head sticking out of the stall next to his mother—we thought that was it. He was supposed to get the injection and fall asleep for good. But then came the trip to Finland as a last resort. He’s the horse that really shouldn’t exist—and now he’s racing at the biggest meet of the year here in Skellefteå, as the favorite. It’s just incredible," Tina says.
Four straight, easy wins
Tina drove the horse in his debut this February, where he finished a solid third. Since then, he has racked up four straight wins, dominating the competition with plenty left in the tank.
Per Edström, a self-employed builder, splits training duties for their eight horses at the home farm.
On Wednesday, 5 Done Deal (V86-3) will race in a leg of Class 3 in the STL, with the final to be held at Solvalla on August 20, during the capital track’s major V75 race night, including the Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg Trophy.
"We’ve had horses for 30 years, and this is the one with the most potential. Definitely. I’ve used Jan Norberg as a driver for years, and he’s told me he really likes this one. So yes—we’re dreaming. It feels incredibly fun right now," says Per.
Younameit won in V75 last fall
Since Tina began training full-time, the results have steadily improved. In 2023, their stable had a winning percentage of 27, and last season it climbed to 41, with 11 wins and SEK 655,000 in earnings. Their best horses have been the winter specialist Soccerbox and Younameit.
In October, Younameit won a V75 race in Boden (Diamantstoet), Per’s second V75 win as a trainer. The first came in 2001 at Bergsåker, when Jan Norberg drove Aces Cocobello to victory.
"It’s tough in the STL, but that just makes the success sweeter for us amateurs!"
Done Deal will be the big hometown favorite on Wednesday night, when Skellefteå hosts its biggest race day of the year with the STL Summer Trot and a boosted V86 card.
Feeling nervous? Maybe tempted to be modest about Done Deal’s chances?
Not a chance.
"Sure, he’s green and we’re a bit jittery. But we truly believe he has a good chance to win. You have to speak openly in this sport—not just keep it all in and be superstitious. I made a decision during a workout that we’re going to be brave. He feels unbelievably good—almost scary good! He does everything so easily," says Tina.
And that hoof? The one that split in half? Any lingering issues?
"Anyone who sees it can tell something’s not right. It doesn’t look like any other horse’s hoof. It’s a bit ugly—but that’s just him. It doesn’t seem to bother him at all. He’s incredibly durable too—only ever needed one treatment, in a stifle. He has amazing technique. Add a golden racing attitude, and a heart and lungs that are just exceptional. So far, he’s had it easy, and we hope it stays that way. Mika Forss, who’s won with him once, called him ‘a flying trotting machine’," Tina says with a laugh.