by Dave Briggs

Sweden’s Supreme Court has ruled trainer Daniel Redén must pay a SEK 100,000 (about $10,500 U.S.) fine in the Propulsion case, overruling the decision of the country’s trotting association Svensk Travsport (ST) not to fine Redén.

The decision was announced Tuesday (April 19), bringing an end to the case that has dragged on for nearly two years.

The short version of the story is this: Many years after he began racing in Sweden, ST discovered Propulsion underwent a nerve procedure in the United States before being sold to his current Swedish owner, Stall Zet (Brixton Medical AB) — even though the procedure was clearly disclosed to ST by the U.S. Trotting Association (USTA) in the horse’s export certificate. That Propulsion had been nerved was not disclosed before Redén purchased the horse for Stall Zet at the 2015 Tattersalls Summer Mixed Sale. The trainer said he was not informed about it later, either.

ST ruled in 2020 that since the horse was ineligible to race all along, Stall Zet must return SEK 26,000,000 (about $2.9 million (U.S.)) earned in 45 starts in Sweden over five years.

Further background click here.

Stall Zet has already returned some €150,000 ($162,742 U.S.) Propulsion earned in Finland and about €593,000 ($643,375) the trotter earned in France. The owner has also repaid about SEK 18,000,000 ($1,905,645) of the 26,000,000 owed in Sweden.

The Supreme Court cited strict trainer responsibility rules for fining Redén. ST went unpunished for its many failings in the case (see background).

ST CEO Maria Croon said in a press release (translated via Google Translate): “The whole case has been difficult for everyone involved and for the entire trotting sport. It is now a relief that the case has been settled and both parties have had to present their views on the case and two independent bodies have had to assess this.”