Every other year, the best horses and riders from all over Iceland come
and compete against each other. For those of you who are not familiar with Icelandic horses, it's called the Landsmot. In 2006, this is what the crowd came for.
Some nice, fast, tolt!
And, like every other competition, Diddi has to win something. This time it
was the Tolt Finals. Everyone, including Diddi seems to expect it. He
can take as many victory laps as he wants. It's still a good show even
if there are no surprises.
Click to Play Video
But for me, it's no story. I'm not looking for news, just the unusual. And Diddi winning is the usual. Sorry Diddi.
This website is a kind of journal about my experiences with becoming a horseman. It is a series of digressions. In fact, I sometimes refer to it as Digressions on the Horse. But things have a way of coming together.
But somewhere in this crowd of people there just has to be an unusual story. So, I scanned the crowd.
I saw a lot of people I know from different trips and activities in Iceland. That's the wonderful thing about the horse community in Iceland -- it's small enough so you can feel connected to the whole. I think that perhaps that's the most fun for me about Landsmot, seeing the people and the horses with which I have some kind of relationship. Take, for example, the family below, Ingunn (in the cap) and her mother, Unnur, and her father, Ingolfur. Obviously, I know them. How else would Ingunn have gotten a Hestakaup.com hat?
And if you've been spending any time at hestakaup.com, you'll remember her, too!
Remember her? Riding her stallion, Hagangur?
The whole family -- present and future -- turned out to see this! One of Hagangur's offspring get evaluated.
Talking about connections, there is Mette Manseth.
She's here riding, knows Ingunn, is a great camera subject...
But she has her own pit crew... The Factory Team...
Oh, of course! Thordur! Perfect...Good-looking, good-natured, and good rider...
But this is really his busy, busy day... I would not dream of interfering with him today.
There are the behind-the scens heroes of the horse world, the farmers and breeders. And there are a few in this crowd.
Just to make it clear, Helgi is Ingolfur's father and therefore Ingunn's grandfather. He is here to see a mare he bred get a 10 for tolt. Yes, 10 for tolt.
There is no way to add to or top this story. Ten for Tolt. Wow! There it is.
But speaking of top breeders, though, here is Skapti from Hafsteinsstadir. He has a connection to one of my favorite places in Iceland, the old farm, Kolkuos.
Skapti actually bred Feykir on his farm. My horse, Sómi, comes from Feykir.
But I am going to Kolkuos the next week...
I need a story now! I am desperate!
Kids! How about a sideline of kids at Landsmot?
Looks like the kids are too busy playing Vikings.
Okay, I could profile people wearing HESTAKAUP.COM hats...
That would be really jumping the shark. And would reveal my total desperation for a story.
And then, a total unconnected stranger, a guy I had never met before, gave me the story!
So, friends, for the the story I decided to tell, go here to 3 Guys and a Horse from Dalvik.
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