Atlantica - 01.09.2003, Qupperneq 33

Since childhood, attending réttir, or the annual
autumn sheep round-up in the countryside, has
been a firm tradition in my family as well as
countless other Icelandic families. This colour-
ful event also holds great appeal for interna-
tional visitors. So what’s all the fuss about?
Notice all those straggly sheep running around
all over the countryside? No, they’re not run-
aways; here in Iceland these four-legged wool-
ly friends are allowed to roam free to graze on
grass and wild herbs. Mind you, sheep often
graze on things we don’t really want them to
eat, like the precious shrubs we call trees here
in Iceland, but essentially all this grazing leads
to perfectly flavoured, free-range tender lamb
for us to enjoy.
The charm of the autumn sheep round-up, for
Icelanders and foreigners alike, is the tradition-
al authenticity of the event. Farmers and their
families, clad in rain gear (it usually rains), zip
around on horses, shouting and screaming, and
sheep run to and fro until they end up in a pen
where they’re supposed to be. Young men prove
themselves by tackling rams by the horns; old
men sit on the fences with bottles of brennivín
and recount stories from days past.
A couple of weeks prior to réttir, farmers leave
on horseback to search for their flocks, often
sleeping under the stars in some remote
Highland hills. These farmers experience the
landscape in an altogether different way than
your average hiker, and it can be a fascinating
and challenging task to join them. If you fancy
your chances as an Icelandic cowboy, or
"sheepboy" rather, check out the local horse
excursion companies for riding tours. AMB
Native Cowboys
Íshestar offers an all-inclusive, six-day tour at Vídidalstungurétt during late September. Contact Íshestar on (+354) 555-7000 and remem-
ber, you’ll have to have some riding experience under your hat.
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❍i-site
[ IDEAS OF INTEREST IN ICELAND ]
JOIN IN THE FUN OF THE ANNUAL SHEEP ROUND-UPS
A T L A N T I C A 31
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