Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.04.2013, Blaðsíða 2

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2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • April 15 2013
News
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee began in February 2012 in celebration of her 60-year reign. The Royal Canadian Mint created 60,000 medals that have been awarded to outstanding
Canadians of all ages and from all walks of life across the country
for their contributions to their fellow citizens, communities,
provincially or nationally. The theme of service reflects Queen
Elizabeth II’s own 60 years of service to Commonwealth nations
since the day she inherited the throne with the death of her father,
King George VI, when Elizabeth was 25.
Several Icelandic Canadians or Canadians who are married
to Icelanders are medal recipients. L-H invites people to continue
sending in the name of other recipients for follow up articles.
Rawlings, Ellen, Glenboro MB, a retired nurse recognized
for her extensive volunteering, involvement in the church,
4-H and the hospital. Her parents were Björn and Thorhildur
(Hilla) Johnson.
Queen’s Jubilee
Medal recipients
The Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation (CIHF) was founded
in 1979, in Calgary AB by
a group of Icelandic horse
owners and breeders. Gunnar
Bjarnasson was appointed
honorary president of the CIHF.
Gunnar devoted his life to the
Icelandic horse and was one of
the founding members of the
Federation of Horse societies in
Iceland (L.H.) in 1949. To date
there are approximately 2,500
Icelandic horses in Canada. The
Canadian Livestock Records
Corporation (CLRC) holds the
official registry for the purebred
Icelandic horse in Canada. The
number of registered horses
depends on owners registering
their horse at birth and death
for accurate numbers. Some
breeders have large herds and
only register horses to be sold
or for competition purposes.
Others wish to keep the proof
of purity of the breed which
is verified by CLRC before
registration is granted. All
registered, DNA-proven horses
are entered into World Fengur.
This has been a mammoth task
for Iris Marenbach in Enderby
BC. Iris took on this job from
its inception and has devoted
years of time to its ongoing
registry. The information is
added to the Icelandic Horse
Data Bank in Iceland, World
Fengur.
My visits to Iceland have all
been because of my connection
to the Icelandic Horse. I will
never cease to be amazed
by the human data stored in
the brains of any Íslendingur
involved with horses in Iceland.
It is remarkable and I would
compare it to the quarter horse
experts who can tell about
this line and that. However in
Iceland one is dealing with
hundreds of horses roaming
over hundreds of acres for at
least four years of their young
lives. At about four to four and
a half years of age the horses
are rounded up, identified as
to ownership and brought in
to start training before being
released again to make or break
it during the winter. Methods
are changing as the market has
expanded and the demand has
grown for competition horses,
mainly for Europe. Some of
the horses may be headed
for Canada, more for Europe
and these will never return to
Iceland. Others are destined for
the dinner table. This is a hot
topic right now especially in
Europe.
So, what of the Icelandic
Horse heading for Canada?
Perhaps with no training, perhaps
older and chosen by a visitor
to come ‘home’ to Canada.
Maybe chosen by a broker with
certain characteristics in mind,
possibly as part of a container
full. Generally, Canada does
not import stallions or 1st prize
mares. This is not because we
don’t need them but more that
Canada has a thirty year breed
program and Icelandic-born,
Canadian stallions are producing
1st prize evaluated mares.
The Canadian market is more
inclined towards the leisure
rider than sport or competition.
This outlook is slowly changing
but the challenges are large, as
large as the country is. Having
said that, the ideal Icelandic
horse, according to a stringent
breed evaluation description,
is a versatile animal capable
of giving spirit for competition
and temperament for a family
of riders. This horse is known
as a Gæðinger, a perfect animal
in every way, known as ‘The
most useful servant’ in Iceland.
In Iceland this is the only
breed of horse. In Canada the
Icelandic horse is competing in
a market with many organized
breeds. The Icelandic horses’
unique clear five gaits place
it in a competition all of its
own. Other gaited breeds are
not quite the same in gait
and judges of other gaited
breeds are unfamiliar with the
Icelandic Tölt. This, as well as
an awesome temperament, has
tended to place the Icelandic
horse in a ‘Cute little pony’
novelty category. Until a rider
has experienced the willing
and powerful spirit of this ‘cute
little pony’, it is difficult to
convince the rider that one does
need to know something about
riding a horse. Our country is so
large and pockets of Icelandic
horse owners so small that
fun shows or competitions are
almost impossible to organize.
Not all Icelandic horse riders
want to participate in shows or
competition. One answer for
those who do want to participate
is to combine with other gaited
breeds. Perhaps some day shows
and competitions will happen
just as they do in B.C. and
until recently in Ontario north
of Huntsville. Until then most
horse owners in Canada head
out for a delightful ride on their
reliable, sturdy, sure-footed and
enduring Icelandic Horse.
‘A cute little pony?’
Susan Bunge
Ottawa, ON
Icelandic horses on the trek through Canada
Every kind of flag imaginable...
1195 Pembina Highway
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2A5
Tel: (204) 452-2689 Fax: (204) 452-2701
Toll Free 1-800-260-3713
Visit our shoWroom for your
ICELANDIC FLAG
flags of all nations
ProVincial and state flags
Pins, crests, decals
flagPoles & accessories
CUSTOM-SEWN OR PRINTED
flags / Banners
First Lutheran Church
580 Victor Street
Winnipeg R3G 1R2
204-772-7444
www.mts.net/~flcwin
Worship with us
Sundays 10:30 a.m.
Pastor Michael Kurtz
Various levels of sponsorship will be treated as offerings
to the Norse Gods and support Lögberg-Heimskringla
2013 ICeLANDIC OPeN sPONsORsHIP
ÓÐIN • Will receive 4 players and post golf reception
• Company Logo on all printed materials
• Large signs at registration, 1st and 10th Holes and featured
prominently during awards program
• 6 free 1/6 page ads in L-H and website ad
sÓL
Goddess of Sun,
we wish you here!
$2,000.00
• Your offering will receive 2 players and post golf reception
• Recognition in the program
• Sign at registration and featured during awards program
• 4 free 1/8 page ads in L-H and website ad
FReYR
Provides strength, to
play and have fun!
$1,000.00
• This offering will receive player and post golf reception
• Recognition in the program
• Featured during awards program
• 2 free 1/8 page ads in L-H and website ad
Þór
CARTS SPONSOR
Rides his Chariot of Fire!
$1,500.00 (x2)
• Your sacrifice helps provide
for the cart today
• Signage on carts
• Recognition in program and
during awards program
• 2 free 1/8 page ads in L-H
and website ad
Iðunn
DRINK SPONSOR
Provides eternal youth!
$1,000.00
• At least her 1 complimentary
alcoholic beverage to all might!
• Recognition in program and on
drink ticket
• 2 free 1/8 page ads in L-H
and website ad
Baldur
LUNCH SPONSOR
The giver, provider of lunch!
$1,500.00
• Recognition in program, at
lunch area and on lunch ticket
• 2 free 1/8 page ads in L-H
and website ad
Brad Sveinson, Chair, Idavoll@mts.net
Grant Stefanson, gstefanson@darcydeacon.com
Audrey Kwasnica, audrey@lh-inc.ca or (204) 284-5686
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
Huldufólk Hole and green sponsors – the ones that matter!
• Signage at teebox or by the green
• Recognition in program$250.00
To register for sponsorship, visit www.lh-inc.ca
Loki $750
Ægir $500
Tyr $250
Valkyrie $150
Höðr $100
Jörð $75
Mjörðr $50
Nótt $25
Pick your Norse God
is an additional part of
the tournament now for
individual donors to be
recognized in an issue of L-H
Leader of the Gods!
$3,000.00
The Icelandic is called
a Horse because it carries
an adult with ease. The
measurement for ponies
falls under 14.2hh or
approximately 147 cm at
the withers which describes
almost all Icelandic Horses.
Anyone accessing the
CLRC web site can go
to the Icelandic Horse
information where one can
find the location of registered
Icelandic Horse owners. The
CIHF web site is a great
information site for the
Icelandic horse in Canada
as is the Ontario Icelandic
Horse Association web site.
CLRC www.clrc.ca,
CIHF www.cihf.ca, OIHA
www.oiha.ca, W.F. www.
worldfengur.com
THe ICeLaNdIC HOrSe IN CaNada
Photo courtesy of susan Bunge