The stable & team
Two people. Full focus on every horse.
At most large stables a single groom looks after ten to fifteen horses. At Bardun Racing Stable we are two people working with them every day — Jonathan as trainer and driver, Darja as stable manager. It is a small organisation by design: your horse gets daily attention from people who genuinely know her, and nothing gets lost in the routine.
Stable Manager
Darja Sumenkova
Over ten years of harness-racing experience across Estonia, Sweden and the United States.
Darja Sumenkova has worked professionally with trotting horses since 2014. Her career began in Estonia with trainer Jevgeni Ivanov, where she combined stable work with her schooling. From the age of sixteen she spent her school holidays in Sweden — first with Timo Nurmos, later in two stints at Menhammar together with Pasi Aikio.
After graduating she moved permanently to Sweden and worked for about a year with Robert Bergh. Before relocating to the United States she also spent several months working for Per Nordström.
From 2021 to 2023 Darja worked in the United States for Marcus Melander — one of the most successful Scandinavian trainers in North America.
Alongside her hands-on work in the stable Darja has completed several horse bodywork programs and is currently studying at the London College of Animal Osteopathy (LCAO). Horses in our stable therefore receive regular bodywork as an integrated part of the training and welfare routine — not as a response when something is already wrong, but as preventive maintenance.
Trainer & driver
Jonathan Bardun
Licensed harness-racing trainer and driver based at Mantorp Travbana. Founder of Bardun Racing Stable — background, philosophy and record are collected on the dedicated page.
Read about Jonathan's background and record →What it means for your horse
Smaller stable, sharper attention.
Daily observation by the same two people
Subtle changes in mood, movement or appetite get caught early — before they become a problem. That is hard to replicate in a barn where staff rotate across fifteen horses per shift.
Integrated bodywork
Osteopathic checks are part of the daily routine, not an external service booked in when something feels off. Lower injury risk, better suppleness through the whole season.
Direct communication with you as owner
Two people — both with deep knowledge of your specific horse — are your point of contact. No intermediaries, no anonymous updates.
International experience, local delivery
Routines and methods brought back from some of the top stables in Sweden, Estonia and the USA are applied in daily operations at Mantorp.
Read next
Related reading
Our training approach →
How the horses are trained at Mantorp — routine, principles and race planning.
Owning a trotting horse — complete guide →
Costs, tax, choosing a trainer, daily life — for anyone considering buying.
Mantorp Travbana →
The track's history, Ina Scot, signature races and what makes Mantorp tactically unique.
Horses in training →
The horses currently trained and raced at the stable.
Welcome to the stable
Want to visit us at Mantorp?
A visit says more than any page can. Get in touch and we will book a time — come by, see the place and meet both of us plus the horses. No obligation.