Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.08.2014, Side 4

Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. ágúst 1 2014 • 7
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6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • August 15 2014
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The Frida Icelandic Riding Club (FIRC) held its third annual USIHC
sanctioned show on May 17 and
18, 2014 at the Fairfax County
Equestrian Center at Frying
Pan Farm Park in Herdon,
Virginia. It is a great venue for
a show, with two large outdoor
arenas, a spacious indoor arena,
and a food stand next to the
arena. The show was held in the
indoor arena. New horse barns
big enough for 150 horses are
next to the indoor arena. The
park has many attractions for
families with children so there
are always a lot people about.
Many were attracted to the
horses, visited the show, and
walked through the barn. At
one point there were more than
100 spectators.
This year, 21 horses were
entered in the 31 classes that
were offered. Some riders rode
multiple horses in different
classes so there were 27 rider-
horse combinations. Will
Covert from California was the
judge, and Susan McPhatter of
Virginia was the scribe. Martin
Nielsen from Kentucky was
the announcer. Riders came
mostly from the local states
of Maryland, Pennsylvania,
and Virginia but also from
Kentucky, Massachusetts, and
Vermont. Visitors from Maine
also attended.
Terral Hill from Kentucky
won the T1 class with a score
of 6.83, the T7 class with a
score of 6.70, and the V1 class
with a 6.70. Charlotte Reilly
from Pennsylvania won the
T3 with a 5.50, the V2 with
a 5.42, and the V3 with a
5.60. Jess Haynsworth from
Massachusetts and Vermont
won the T2 class with a 5.75.
Carrie Brandt from Kentucky
won the T2 with a 6.30. Megan
Milloy from Virginia won
the T5 with a 5.50. Complete
results can be found on USIHC
website (www.icelandics.org)
under “Ride, Competition,
Sanctioned Show Results,
FIRC Icelandic Horse Show”
or by going to http://www.
icelandics.org/showresults.php
?usihc=bc935cb1387c104b08a
07fe02bcaca37 .
The riders said they enjoyed
the show and many said they
plan to come next year. The
fourth annual show will be held
on May 16 and 17, 2015 at the
same location. See you there.
Frida Icelandic Riding Club Spring Show
Rich Moore
Frida Icelandic Riding Club Jo Ann Trostle from Pennsylvania with her daughter Jade
Terral Hill from Kentucky won the T1 class
Marilyn Tully from Pennsylvania
PHOTOS: RICH MOORE
Busloads of Icelandic visitors, including Samkór uppsveita
Árnessýslur (the Golden Circle Choir) were greeted
by members of the Icelandic American Association of
Minnesota. The choir returned the favour by singing.
With busloads of Icelanders on their way to Icelandic
celebrations and a Minnesota tour, the call went out to
Icelandic American Association of Minnesota members to
attend a meet and greet at Springhill Suites, Bloomington,
because “some of these travelers are aware of relatives in
North America, some are not. Let’s surprise them with a
few more relatives.” And they did.
PHOTOS: CLAIRE ECKLEY
A Snorri West experience isn’t all hard work, history and
culture. The 2004 Snorri West group enjoyed a day at
Virginia Beach. L to R: Hilmár Páll Hannesson, Signý Æsa
Káradóttir, unknown, Anna Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir.
PHOTO: KRISTJÁN SÆVALD PÉTURSSON
For the Deuce of August parade, Chris Byron, INL of NA and IAAMN board member, invites representatives from Lögberg Heimskringla, INL of NA, Icelandic Clubs, and
any dignitaries not in separate vehicles to ride with us on a people
mover pulled by a tractor arranged by my brother, David Hillman.
Chris makes signs for each of the float riders.
This year we had some things different. Emily Kristjanson,
president of the Greater Seattle Icelandic Club, followed us in
her own air-conditioned car and another club member, Eleanor
Biliske, rode with her. Marilyn Johnson, also of the Seattle Club,
and Jeanne Halldorson from the Icelandic Communities Club
rode with her in a four-wheeler following Emily.
On behalf of Governor Jack Dalrymple and the people of the great state
of North Dakota, we are honored
to have you here to join us as we
celebrate our shared heritage
and more than a thousand years
of traditions and culture.
A millennium after the
settlement of Iceland by the
Norse, thousands fled to North
America in search of a new
life. These men and women
suffered incredible hardships
and overcame tremendous
adversities, arriving first in
Canada then traveling by land
and even on foot into North
Dakota and the Red River
valley. They came, like so many
others, to escape poverty and
domination, and to establish
new settlements where they
could flourish.
I imagine it was a day much
like this when the first Icelandic
settlers arrived in the area in the
late 1870s – a picture-perfect
day – but even after winter
arrived, I am sure these hardy
Icelanders felt they had made
the right decision in settling here
in the balmy south.
These men and women
carried on their traditions
and taught their children and
grandchildren to honor their
heritage, a heritage that is
familiar to us from folklore,
representing an indomitable
people.
Now, more than a century
after settling in North Dakota,
their descendants continue those
traditions, coming from across
the United States and even
Canada to maintain traditions,
to join in the festivities and
help commemorate Iceland’s
independence.
So, to our friends – new
and old – I say welcome home
to the great state of North
Dakota. We are proud to host
the festivities celebrating
“The Day of the Icelanders”
and we hope you enjoy the
festivities. Thank you, also, to
the community of Mountain
for your hospitality.
What is more joyful than a
gathering of your friends?
The fjallkona, symbolizing Iceland, the motherland, and reaching out to all her children, travelled this year from Winnipeg to attend The Deuce of August.
Each year, the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba chooses one
woman to preside over Íslendingadagurinn, the Icelandic Festival
of Manitoba held in Gimli on the August long weekend. The attire,
Hedy Bjornson, the fjallkona, explained, is symbolic. “My white
dress signifies purity, integrity and the glacial skirts of Iceland,
the lace veil depicts the snowcapped mountains; the green cape
captures the beauty of the Icelandic countryside and the gold crown
consists of a star above a rising sun and contains the Icelandic Coat
of Arms.” The fjallkona, she said, originated from a poem written
in 1750 by Eggert Olafsson, published in 1832.
The fjallkona rode in the August the Deuce parade with her
maids and spoke during the Heritage program in the afternoon.
Sources the Manitoba Icelandic Festival program booklet
and the fjallkona’s talk.
Celebrating shared culture
AUGUST THE DEUCE
The Honorable Wayne
Stenehjem, North Dakota
Attorney General
Manitoba’s fjallkona visits
Mountain
Manitoba’s fjallkona, Herdis (Hedy) Gudrun Bjornson,
who visited Mountain for The Deuce of August, with her
two Maids of Honour, her granddaughters, Alicia Mae and
Angela Dawne Sylvester, and Claire Eckley, President of the
Icelandic National League of North America.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE ECKLEY
A twist on a standing tradition
Dr. R S Lyle Hillman
Brainerd, MN
Emily Kristjanson, president of the Greater Seattle Icelandic
Club, and club member, Eleanor Biliske, in Emily’s car
Marilyn Johnson, Seattle Club, and
Jeanne Halldorson, the Icelandic
Communities Club, team up for the
parade in an elegant four-wheeler
PHOTOS: DR. R S LYLE HILLMAN
Three towns, two countries, three festivals, three parades, The Deuce of
August, the Hecla parade, and Íslendingadagurinn, Icelanders working
together. More coverage of all three events in the September 1 issue.
Nordic loans repaid
ruv.is—The State Treasury and Central Bank of Iceland has
repaid the loan the Nordic countries made in the fall of 2008—
ISK 114 billion (US$ 986.5M). The loan originally had payment
dates in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The funds used for the repayment
were the proceeds from the State Treasury’s sale of bonds in
euros earlier in the month. The sale of the bonds produced a total
of ISK 116 billion (US$ 1B). The CBI’s press release states that
full repayment of loans from the Nordic countries was made,
a total of €1775 million. The press release further said that the
bond issue provided leeway to repay the Nordic loans, which
had less favourable interest rates.
Reprinted with permission from Icelandic News Briefs,
published by KOM PR
Iceland News Briefs
Festivals