Mats Björnetun on his trajectory from hot rods to cross-country safety devices
Under the MIMsafe brand, my company is the industry leader within the field of crash-tested dog cages, gates and universal cargo nets. We also produce MIMclips, the frangible devices which allow cross-country fences to “collapse” safely to help prevent falls. These became mandatory on 1 January 2021 on all fences to which they can be fitted at all FEI events.
Originally I was a farmer. I wasn’t interested in studying at school, but I was interested in motorcycles and hot rods, and was involved in drag-racing. Engineering and building things fascinated me.
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You can also read this feature in the 13 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
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H&H features editor
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.