Competition season 2023

The competition season always starts early, with the indoor competitions getting more and more popular in recent years. In the end of February, The KS Champions League starts.

 

First up was Gæðingalist, where Team Þúfur did a good job with Kalsi frá Þúfum and Mette in second position. Fourgait was the second competition and Hannibal frá Þúfum, the highest judged fourgaited stallion in Iceland made his debut on the oval track. It’s safe to say that he came, saw and conquered. It was the perfect start for Hannibal’s competition career with up to 9 for walk and fast tölt. It was so easy for him and only competing on FIZO shoeing. He showed great cooperation, suppleness and balance in every moment. Lea Busch and Kaktus frá Þúfum, out of Hróður frá Refsstöðum and Kyrrð frá Stangarholti, came third with amazing trot and canter show.

 

Kalsi did a superbly in fivegait with Mette, scoring the same as the winner Þráinn frá Flagbjarnarholti and Þórarinn Eymundsson in the finals but ended in second place after seat placement from the judges.

Hannibal and Mette made a great show again in the Tölt competition and won with 8,39 in the finals. We must say that the balance and easiness of this horse amazes us.

Mette and Vivaldi frá Torfunesi also did great in the speedpace in the Champions League in south Iceland with second position, amongst the world’s fastest pacehorses.

 

The big World-Ranking competition in Hólar was also a success, where Mette won all oval track disciplines, in addition to the 100m pace. Hannibal went on his first outside competition and was on podium in both Tölt and fourgait, but as Mette had also the runner up in Tölt, Hannibal only took part in the fourgait final and won by very good margin with 7,90.

Lea and Kaktus did very good as usual, with third place and 7,37. In the Tölt-finals Mette rode the runner up, Trymbill’s daughter Staka frá Hólum and won. This was Staka’s first Tölt competition and with 7,50 in preliminaries and 7,83 in the finals, we must say that was a really good start.

 

Kalsi took the longer way to the podium, starting in the B-final. He is so sure and confident in what is expected by now so the finals are like “a dance on roses”. Amazingly he won, over some of Iceland’s best five gaiters, receiving up to 9 for pace. He also came third in the pace test, so he did a great job.

Blundur frá Þúfum did his thing and won the T2, tölt on loose reins. We sometimes have a hard time believing how good that horse is.

 

The biggest event of the year was the Icelandic championship and Mette went there with her set of horses; Blundur, Kalsi, Staka and Vivaldi. Hannibal sat that one out as he already left for his summer job with the mares. All the horses did great. Kalsi ended up 9th, Blundur 5th after winning the B-finals and Vívaldi was 5th in 100m pace with personal best time 7.39 sek.

 

At the last big competition of the summer, Fákaflug, Lea and her Síríus frá Þúfum (out of Kyrrð and Mette’s previous competition horse Stjörnustæll frá Dalvík) went to their first ever Gæðingatölt and won.

On the mainland of Europe Værð frá Þúfum (daugther of Kyrrð and Trymbill) and Pílatus frá Þúfum (out of Píla frá Syðra-Garðshorni and Hróður) are doing great with their riders Laura Grimm and Silke Veith. Amongst this summers results was podium positions in Tölt and Fourgait.