V86: Will the cute trotting story continue?
Jan R. Larsson and his wife Marie usually celebrate victories with cake.
This year there have already been 13 cake celebrations at their stable in Umeå, and now the couple have a chance to set the table for another big celebration after Wednesday's V86 at Skellefteå.
Önas Samanta has won four out of five starts since joining the Oscar Berglund stable and is a leading contender in the mares division with Örjan Kihlström in the sulky.
"We're living the dream. Don't wake us up," says Larsson.
On Saturday mornings, a group of friends usually gathers for coffee at the stable at Umåker, whether the Larssons' horses have won or not. When things have gone especially well, they order a victory cake.It's a sweet tradition that has become especially well known in Swedish harness racing circles this year. In 2026, Jan R. Larsson has already celebrated 13 victories as an owner following a successful partnership with Östersund trainer Oscar Berglund.
The concept, which they hope to continue for many years, is that amateur owner Larsson buys yearlings, gives the horses their initial education at home, and then sends them into professional training in the spring of their two-year-old season.
In recent years they have put their faith in Oscar Berglund as trainer.
Jan R. Larsson has been interested in harness racing since he was a child and has trained, owned, and bred trotters. In recent years, things have gone almost unbelievably well.
"Thirteen victories this year as an owner, including Noelia's two V85 wins, is obviously as big as it gets. We had 12 victories last year, and the year before that we also had several wins. I had two wins as a trainer myself last year, but now Oscar is the one we're investing in. Since I moved horses to Oscar in March 2024, we've had 28 victories together. He's an exceptionally skilled trainer," says Jan R. Larsson, a well-known figure in the equine insurance industry.
The concept, which they hope to continue for many years, is that amateur owner Larsson buys yearlings, gives the horses their initial education at home, and then sends them into professional training in the spring of their two-year-old season.
In recent years they have put their faith in Oscar Berglund as trainer.
Jan R. Larsson has been interested in harness racing since he was a child and has trained, owned, and bred trotters. In recent years, things have gone almost unbelievably well.
"Thirteen victories this year as an owner, including Noelia's two V85 wins, is obviously as big as it gets. We had 12 victories last year, and the year before that we also had several wins. I had two wins as a trainer myself last year, but now Oscar is the one we're investing in. Since I moved horses to Oscar in March 2024, we've had 28 victories together. He's an exceptionally skilled trainer," says Jan R. Larsson, a well-known figure in the equine insurance industry.
Noelia the starThe Larssons own 12 horses. Seven are with Östersund trainer Oscar Berglund, four are trained at home in Umeå, and one broodmare is waiting to become a mother. Friend and amateur trainer Thomas S. Johansson trains two of the horses and is part of the coffee group that gathers every Saturday morning at eight o'clock.
The current star is Noelia, whom Larsson also bred. Noelia won the mares division on the Umåker V85 card in early May with Örjan Kihlström and followed that up with another national betting victory at Solänget in early July.
"Örjan is Örjan. He's probably the best driver in the world. Oscar deserves a lot of credit as well. She's not an easy horse, but she has ability to spare."
The current star is Noelia, whom Larsson also bred. Noelia won the mares division on the Umåker V85 card in early May with Örjan Kihlström and followed that up with another national betting victory at Solänget in early July.
"Örjan is Örjan. He's probably the best driver in the world. Oscar deserves a lot of credit as well. She's not an easy horse, but she has ability to spare."
The move turned everything aroundAnother complicated mare who has flourished at Oscar Berglund's stable in Brunflo outside Östersund is six-year-old 2 Önas Samanta (V86-5). On Wednesday she can win the mares division at Skellefteå during the STL Summer Tour V86 card.
Jan R. Larsson broke her as a yearling, but in February of her two-year-old season she began having problems. The mare developed severe swelling in her right stifle and underwent surgery. Earlier damage to the joint surfaces in the stifle made veterinarians doubt whether Önas Samanta would become a successful racehorse.
She still developed well and won two races as a four-year-old and one early in her five-year-old season before things started going wrong. Oscar Berglund took over her training late last year.
"She mostly made breaks and had a rough gait, as we say, and on top of that she's very difficult temperamentally. Eventually I realized I simply wasn't a good enough trainer. I sent her to Oscar as a last resort to see if he could do something with her," says Jan R.
The move made all the difference.
In five starts this year, Önas Samanta has recorded four victories and also finished sixth in a V86 race at Boden where nothing went her way.
"He's incredibly skilled at training horses, both patiently and aggressively when needed. Samanta would have been a much better horse if she'd been with Oscar from day one, I can tell you that. Samanta won easily the first time she raced barefoot all around in a matiné race at Östersund in the end of June as preparation for Skellefteå. We'll take the shoes off again. She had a workout on Monday, and Oscar reports that he's extremely pleased with her."
Jan R. Larsson broke her as a yearling, but in February of her two-year-old season she began having problems. The mare developed severe swelling in her right stifle and underwent surgery. Earlier damage to the joint surfaces in the stifle made veterinarians doubt whether Önas Samanta would become a successful racehorse.
She still developed well and won two races as a four-year-old and one early in her five-year-old season before things started going wrong. Oscar Berglund took over her training late last year.
"She mostly made breaks and had a rough gait, as we say, and on top of that she's very difficult temperamentally. Eventually I realized I simply wasn't a good enough trainer. I sent her to Oscar as a last resort to see if he could do something with her," says Jan R.
The move made all the difference.
In five starts this year, Önas Samanta has recorded four victories and also finished sixth in a V86 race at Boden where nothing went her way.
"He's incredibly skilled at training horses, both patiently and aggressively when needed. Samanta would have been a much better horse if she'd been with Oscar from day one, I can tell you that. Samanta won easily the first time she raced barefoot all around in a matiné race at Östersund in the end of June as preparation for Skellefteå. We'll take the shoes off again. She had a workout on Monday, and Oscar reports that he's extremely pleased with her."
Kihle is the stable's first driver, but Kihlström gets the call
Henrik Kihle is considered the stable's first driver, but he'll step aside on Wednesday. That's when Örjan Kihlström will drive the mare for the first time.
"Kihle is a name for the future, and we'll be using him a lot as long as he has time for us. I actually called Kihle and explained that we had the opportunity to use Örjan, and he had no objections. No, it's going to be very exciting on Wednesday."
The Umeå couple, Jan and Marie, are naturally hoping to serve another victory cake.
"We always say we're living the dream and don't want to be woken up. As far as Önas Samanta is concerned, everything that happens from here on is just a bonus. She's already achieved so much more than we ever dared hope for," he says.
Horses, horses, and more horses. Together with Marie, every day begins the same way, seven days a week, all year long.
"A very important part of all this is actually Marie. She's incredibly good with the horses. We love the sport and the horses, and every morning at six o'clock we go to the stable together. We groom the horses, turn them out, prepare their feed, and keep everything clean and tidy. Then we go home and have breakfast. After that it's either training or racing, depending on the day. We live and breathe harness racing."