When we enter the door of the red manes, Johanna Manninen, 43, rides around the arena wearing a helmet on a great-looking dark stallion. You could say that the former sprinter has gained more horsepower under his feet.
Manninen sits proudly in the saddle, and the horse steps along the edges of the manes. The athlete clearly takes riding seriously, but also seems to enjoy every second.
Sometimes he directs the large animal to make a smaller circle in the middle of the arena. The horse obeys control well, but it takes time for horse and rider to get to know each other. They have to get on the same wavelength and the interplay has to work at least as seamlessly as With Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurrilla.
Champion of the awards
Let’s go back in history a bit. Johanna Manninen, who inherited strong running genes from her parents, was a super talent in sprinting in her junior years. He broke Finnish records and won silver in the 200 meters at the Kaleva Games in Lapua at the age of 15.
– There was a competition in the neighboring town, and that medal came as quite a surprise to me as well. I myself was more focused on the European Youth Championships, recalls Manninen.
He had time to run the four European Youth Championships, from which no less than six personal medals came out.
In 1996, Manninen was selected for the women’s relay team at the Atlanta Olympic Games when she was only 16 years old. He was then the youngest Finnish Summer Olympic representative of all time.
– It was amazing. It was so amazing to get into the team and see how big an event it was.
In the adult series, Manninen had time to represent Finland in three Olympic Games, five World Championships and two European Championships. At the World Championships in Edmonton, he ran the semi-finals on both sprints. At the Universiade, he won the World Championship gold in 100 meters.
Mannine has a total of 30 individual adult SM medals from short distances.
It is a lesser known fact that Manninen has also been riding since he was 9 years old. In athletics, riding was helpful for the core muscles and the mental side.
After his track and field career, Manninen invested more and more in horse riding. Three years ago, a new, wilder idea began to sprout in his head. He wanted more.
– I matured the idea that it would be sweet to develop in another sport as well.
He delved deeper into the secrets of the sport and studied to become a riding hobby instructor, receiving a lot of help from a riding instructor Emmi from Kivelä and dressage trainer From Heli-Maija Vehkah. But he wanted to learn more.
Maarit Raiskio rode to Olympic six
Maarit Raiskio started his career in Pori Ratsastaj at the age of 10 and first competed in field riding. He later switched to dressage and has won two youth EC medals and several GP competitions. He has been coached by a legendary Kyra Kyrklund.
In 1988, Raiskio finished sixth in the dressage team competition at the Seoul Olympics with his horse Nor. The performance is still Finland’s best achievement in the dressage team competition at the Olympic Games.
– A great experience and quite successful in terms of sports, because we got that point from there, Raiskio says.
Raiskio had fun memories of the Olympics. One of them was meeting the Seoul javelin bronze medalist Seppo Rädyn with.
– When we went for coffee, there was a huge man standing there who said, “oh you are those riders”, laughs Raiskio.
Raiskio moved from his own career to coaching and has become a respected coach. In the late 1990s, he founded Visnydja, a dressage training center in Lohja. The center has a barn, an outdoor field and several hectares of pastures, as well as more than 20 stables.
The Ukrainian Dimantti immediately made an impression
Maarit Raiskio met Johanna Manninen for the first time seven years ago through their shared hobby of dogs. Of course, they also had a lot to talk about about horses.
Manninen managed to realize his long-term dream precisely through Raiskio.
There is a large stud farm with 300 horses in Kharkiv, Ukraine, with which Raiskio has been cooperating for a long time.
– I know the manager of that stud farm, and when the war broke out, he asked if I could help and take five horses here to Finland.
One of the horses was an experienced 15-year-old racing stallion Ser Diamant, aka Timantti, who has also competed in international competitions.
– Timantti has been competing in the Grand Prix since she was 10 years old and also took part in the European Championship 2021, says Raiskio.
Johanna Manninen met Timanti for the first time last November.
– It looked from there with its ears pricked up and immediately made an impression.
And it just so happened that the horse became the property of the Manninen family. It’s also a joy for my daughter, who likes to ride.
The runner finally got a top horse with which he can pursue his dreams in dressage. In addition, Raiskio has promised to act as Manninen’s coach.
– Friendship with Maarit has pushed me forward in my career as a rider.
If you want to improve, it’s good to have more competition experience on one of them, either the rider or the horse.
– Now Johanna has a really good tutor, Raiskio describes the horse.
Childhood dreams come true
Although Mannis has long-term experience in riding, the transition from the hobby level to the competitive world is a big step, not to mention his background in sprinting.
– It would probably have been an almost easier path if there wasn’t a sprinter. When a lot of hands are used in running, my hands easily start to rhythm my legs. When riding, the hands have to be exactly where they are, explains Manninen, who has a master’s degree in exercise science.
The ex-sprinter is still quite a club-level rider and competed for the first time only two years ago. He lacks a track routine. However, the goal is to raise the level as high as the pebbles are sufficient.
– Winning has not been the first thing in mind, but learning, says Manninen.
– Johanna is very athletic and has good body control. Riding is of course different, but I believe in this project very much. Johanna is really hardworking and motivated, says coach Raiskio.
Manninen has a tough challenge ahead of him, because even a professional takes at least a year to get to know you with a new Grand Prix-level horse.
– I told Maarit that yes, I am ready to work and above all to enjoy the path that this cooperation makes possible.
Riders can compete even when they are older, as, for example, a Japanese dressage rider who competed in the London Olympics Hiroshi Hoketsu was 71 years old.
– It’s not just about being young, that you can compete with yourself. Yes, even people over forty can enjoy this, laughs Manninen, who is making his childhood dreams come true.