When we call Anna up, she is in her childhood bedroom at her family’s equestrian center in Finland. On her lap, she has her dog Alba, a constant companion since a few years back. It was here that Anna’s equestrian career and dreams for the future really took off. The family’s interest in horses goes back further, however. With a grandma who competed for the Finnish national team in the Olympics and family members who ride at the professional level, equestrian sports is in her blood. And she has definitely kept the tradition going; today, Anna has competed both in the European championships and in the world championships, despite her young age. Together with Grevens Zorro, who Anna describes as her best friend, she has competed in several Grand Prix classes.

About Anna Tallberg

• Born: February 14, 1996

• Lives in: Denmark

• Competes for: Finland 🇫🇮

• Discipline: Dressage

• Instagram: @annatallberg
  
  

How do you feel about the collaboration with Maya Delorez?

– It feels so fun to be working with a young brand that’s grown so quickly! I can really see myself in Maya Delorez as a brand, in your riders, and in the content you post. It feels great to get to be part of the journey and grow together with you, I’m happy for the opportunity.

How did your riding career start?

– I grew up in a real “horse family”. My older siblings ride and I have a twin sister who is a show jumper at the professional level. It all started with us buying a show jumping pony and a dressage pony that me and my twin sister started competing. Precision and attention to detail has always appealed to me and I think that’s why I immediately liked dressage. We’ve had really great support from each other in our ambitions despite competing in different disciplines. I remember that the whole family was involved, and we went to shows where both I and my sister could ride. There was a really great sense of togetherness. Our memories from that time are invaluable. 

After graduating in 2015, the plan was for Anna to spend the summer in Denmark to train with her horse at the time. Summer turned to fall and Anna was accepted to Copenhagen Business School. Now, she has had her home base in Denmark for several years. When asked where she feels most at home, it’s clear that Finland will always have a special place in her heart.

– It’s a difficult question but I’d say that my heart will always belong to Finland and that I’m Finnish “in my bones”. It’s always touching when I hear the Finnish national anthem at shows. At the same time, I have my life in Denmark, and it has shaped who I am as an adult and it’s where I’ve largely laid the foundation of my riding career.

“It feels great to get to be part of the journey and grow together with MD, I’m happy for the opportunity.”

– Anna Tallberg

During her time in Denmark, Anna has trained with both Mikaela Fabricius-Bjerre and Daniel Bachmann Andersen, who Anna describes as important for her development. Today, she’s part of Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour’s team – a dream turned reality. 

– It has of course been a longtime dream for me to take part of the knowledge that Cathrine has. It’s incredible to get to be part of such an ambitious team! I’ve developed a lot since I got here, especially regarding my influence on the horse. How small adjustments in my riding can contribute to very big changes. Cathrine has an incredible amount of experience from shows and has given me a new perspective on everything from how to enter the dressage arena to how you can think to give yourself more time in each movement. It’s really down at the detailed level and I absorb knowledge like a sponge every day.

What’s your biggest strength as a rider?

– I’m a very calm and analytical person, and I think that has helped me in my dressage career. When I ride a dressage test, I always think one movement at a time. It has helped me focus and feel comfortable riding every moment in the arena. My focus is with me every day, in every movement, it has to be part of your everyday. If it’s part of your everyday life, it also becomes natural in the arena. It gives you a calmness and an overview of the situation. 

How do you best prepare for a show?

– To me, it’s important to not change any routines and I always do everything myself as I don’t have a groom. I’m the one who brushes, walks, and prepares, just as usual. I also do the braiding myself because I know what I want it to look like. It’s a good way to get a feel of the mood of the horse. A routine that I have is to go through and practice the test as much as I can – it gives me peace of mind. I might do it at home on the mat or by doing the Grand Prix test at a walk. When you walk, you get more time to analyze each movement. Ask yourself:

• What do I need to do?

• When am I going to do it?

• How am I going to do it?

At 6 years old, the gelding Grevens Zorro came into Anna’s life. Relatively inexperienced, the both of them, they’ve developed to the absolute top level. During the years that Anna has looked after, trained, and competed what she describes as her heart horse, the bond between them has grown stronger and stronger. One of Anna’s strongest memories with Zorro is the Herning World Championships in 2022.  

– Zorro’s “go” matches my calmness very well, we’re really a perfect match in that way. We’ve climbed from First and Second Level classes to riding world championships together. I’d never tried movements such as passage, piaffe, or tempi changes at every stride before – so by default, I had to learn while teaching him. He really means the world to me and has shaped my entire equestrian career. I’ll never forget the moment we rode down the centerline toward the head judge during the Herning World Championships. It was a “pinch me” moment! It was the fifth time me and Zorro rode a Grand Prix together. It was an incredible learning moment to just be there and be part of the environment. I really tried to soak it all up and enjoy it. 

During Helsinki International Horse Show 2023, you won both the 3* Grand Prix and freestyle with Grevens Zorro. What was that feeling like? 

– It was incredible to get to come home and compete in front of the Finnish at-home audience, it’s something that I haven’t experienced that many times. It was an amazing feeling to ride into the arena with the great season we had behind us, and to show Zorro off to the audience and to my entire family that was there.

“My focus is with me every day in every movement, it has to be part of your everyday.”

– Anna Tallberg

After several years together, with impressive accomplishments behind them, it’s time for Zorro and Anna to part ways. Anna sees it as a tough but necessary decision and feels grateful for their time together. As always when a chapter closes, another one also begins. 

– It really breaks my heart to have to sell him but at the same time, it’s an incredibly expensive sport. For me to be able to buy a new horse to dedicate myself to, the only option is to sell. I would of course love to have him grazing here at the family yard and just watch him grow old, but it doesn’t work that way. He has many good years left, and he wouldn’t be happy just walking in the pasture. I really hope he finds a home where he will feel good and can be a teacher for a new rider. I’m so grateful for the tools he’s given me for when I’ll start training a new horse in the future. 

Today, Anna also trains other young riders in both Denmark and Finland. When we discuss her goals and her vision for the future, it’s more than anything Anna’s desire to give back to the sport that’s in focus but also dreams about an Olympics in dressage. Where Anna is going to live and have her home base in the future? It’s something that time will have to tell.  

– Currently, a big question for me is where I am going to live in the future. Given that my family has an equestrian center in Finland, it would of course be fun to move back home and run it together with my sister, with a focus on both jumping and dressage. It would mean a lot to me to give back to the Finnish equestrian sport that’s given me so much through the years. The other part of me at the same time wants to stay in Denmark and really absorb the knowledge that’s here. I’m weighing my options right now. But, as long as I have a good mentor and friend in Cathrine, I am super happy.  A dream I’ve always had is to compete in the Olympics. I was on the long list for the Olympics in Paris 2024, but I chose to opt out after a few starts where I felt that I couldn’t perform at the level that I wanted. If I were to ride in the Olympics, I’d want to compete and not just take part. I am a competitive person, after all, and I have my goals for the future! 

Which are your favorite products from Maya Delorez?

– I live in my Teddy Halfzip! It’s an all-time favorite. I also love the Classic Breeches, they fit me great, and I love the way they feel. When it’s extra cold, the winter jackets are a must, they really keep you warm and they look good too.