Iceland review - 2016, Page 127

The Icelandic
Horse
ICELAND REVIEW 125
SPECIAL PROMOTION
HISTORIC LOCATION
Landsmót is the largest outdoor sporting event in Iceland, showcasing
Iceland’s best horses and riders and this year, instead of being held in
Reykjavík, it will take place in an exciting location: Hólar, North Iceland.
The 22nd outing will mark the 50-year anniversary of the last Landsmót
at Hólar, held in 1966. Hólar University is the official Icelandic center for
riding, training and Icelandic horse research. “The event takes place at
a beautiful place rich in history and with the connections to the univer-
sity, you could say that Hólar is the home of the Icelandic horse,” says
festival manager Áskell Heiðar Ásgeirsson.
FIVE GAITS
One of the things which makes Icelandic horses so unique is that while
most horses only have four gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop), Icelandic
horses have a fifth: the tölt. The main event of Landsmót is always the
Gæðingakeppni, where riders of all ages and their horses compete in an
event composed of showing all five gaits of the Icelandic horse. Another
theme is a competition and showcase of breeding horses, where the
best stallions and mares are shown and evaluated. As the tölt is the
most treasured gait of the Icelandic horse, one of the highlights of the
Landsmót is the tölt competition. Riding tölt is a smooth ride because
the horse always has one foot on the ground and changes feet at an
equal beat.
FAMILY FUN
Landsmót is known as a family-friendly event. “We even lowered the
prices for teens to encourage families to join the fun,” says Áskell
Heiðar. “It’s important to entertain the entire family and create a nice
atmosphere where everyone enjoys each other’s company.” Organizers
expect around 10,000 guests this year and have already sold more than
4,000 tickets in advance.
Come, enjoy and celebrate Icelandic horses at Landsmót.
landsmot.is/en