IS2012158166 - Blundur frá Þúfum

Last son of Lygna

Blundur is the last son of Lygna, our main breeding mare. His father is the tölt genius Viti frá Kagaðarhóli . Our first impression after he was born was impressive. As Lygna always ran a lot around after foaling it was easy to see that Blundur had something special. The gaits were just there, all the time. It was like he could not take one step wrong or without schwung and the right movements and carriage.

Blundur the unfortunate.

Already before when we started him he, as a youngster, had had a thing stuck up his hoof resulting in an infection and cut himself on fence he jumped over. This last thing delayed the starting a bit so we quite early decided that he would not be shown as a four-year-old. The late summer he was five we put him together with another stallion on a large field. None of them had mares the second part of the summer and both were very calm by nature, and it was easy to keep an eye on them from the kitchen window. Or so we thought. After a few days we noticed that Blundur stood a lot still and as we checked him his testicles were as large as a basketball. The other stallion had almost chewed them off. Luckily treatment for several weeks saved his testicles. Blundur was shown again at 6 and was developing really well. He got scores to Landsmot and off we went and he felt so good so we were really looking forward to showing him. The morning landsmót started we got the shock. Another stallion had gotten into Blundur´s box in the night, and of course they had been fighting. He had a cut in the eye, but worse, he almost couldn´t walk! We got x-rays straight away and he had been kicked in the shoulder joint. Seven weeks of box rest, in the middle of the summer! Not a stallion’s favorite thing. Bet he was very calm as always, and thankfully recovered totally. Then, after a sucsessfull Icelandic championship and Fjórðungsmót 2021 he went out with mares. We were planning to take him home quite early, but we did not get there early enough. Someone let other stallions on the field next to him and his mares, resulting in some accident that I have yet to understand. At least he did not stand on one of his front feet. Covered in wounds we brought him home late august and had him thoroughly examined. The result was box rest and walking for recovery for several months. First time we went out was 27.jan. But again, he fully recovered! But after all this we always expect him to have some kind of a freaky accident that was not to be foreseen.

Why are you so good???

The first time Blundur got a rider was memorable. He moved so well from the start in the longing work, that he was not very enthusiastic about. It was like sitting on a fully trained horse. The tempo and rhythm were so secure and the back movement really swinging. The neck was in a perfect position for rein contact. Mette started him inside, then Gísli took over and trained him the first winter.
It was obvious that T2 and B-flokkur would be his thing. The tölt was of such a consistent quality like his father Viti. And the trot is a bit unusual. Unusual because it has so much schwung and air in working trot and then he has endless speed as his mother Lygna. And as Lygna he keeps the carriage in high-speed trot. It is the consistency of the gaits that are maybe his special treat. It is like he cannot tölt bad! He is either supergood in tölt or fantastic. You don´t need a PhD in riding to have him supergood. Going for a ride on Blundur has given us the best experiences. Everything seems perfect and easy and you feel like you can do anything together. Mette sometimes asks Blundur why he is so good. He does not respond.
From Blundur´s conformation he is a bit more heavy built than the typical Þúfur-horse. His back is broad as a table, his shoulders are very muscled, his neck is always round, muscled and well raised and head is a bit heavy. He uses this front part very well and it is probably what makes him so easy to ride. It makes it easy for him to understand the rein. He engages his sling muscles naturally as a response to the rein which lifts the withers and frees the back to move, so the hindlegs can engage. This ability of self-carriage was obvious from the start and over time we have learned how important it is.

Performance and offspring

7 years old Blundur went to his 3rd and last breeding show. It resulted in 9,5 for tölt and trot and 9 for slow tölt, spirit and general impression. Since 2020 Blundur has been in every A-final in T2 on the big championships he has entered including Landsmót and Icelandic championship. He has also done very well in B-flokk scoring up to 8.76. Now, since the change of rules we can enter T1 and T2 at the same competition so that is an opportunity.
Blundurs first offspring are doing great, we hear from their owners. We have had one in training. Vakning frá Torfunesi, who received a great judgement as a five-year-old, with 9 for tölt, slow tölt and spirit and a 9,5 for general impression.

Now, we are just starting quite a few offspring from our own breeding.

Vakning frá Torfunesi & Mette 2022 - 8,28 in total

Nn frá Þúfum - M. Nóta frá Þúfum