The National Association of Horsemen (Landssamband hestamanna) put on a four-day endurance race over the highlands which ended yesterday. Having begun the journey in Skagafjörður, the riders traveled roughly 70 kilometres per day until they reached Þingvellir.
Four participants, two Icelanders and two foreigners, took on the challenge with teams comprised of three horses, one competitor and a veterinarian each. The ride is meant to emphasise endurance, courage, strength and appreciation for Icelandic nature, reports Vísir. More than that, the race centres the strength and amazing ability of the iconic Icelandic horse.
The race was won by Iðunn Bjarnadóttir, riding for Riding Iceland Saltvík, clocking in at 18 hours and 40 minutes. Next up was Annie Whelan, riding for Íslandshestar with 18 hours and 52 minutes. Followed by Hermann Árnason who finished with 19 hours and 3 minutes and Musse Hasselvall who completed with 19 hours and 4 minutes.
Competitor Hermann Árnason says that he hopes the National Association of Horsemen will make this an annual endurance competition. When asked if the event was fun, he responded, “Yes, a lot of fun, these are naturally tough competitors.”
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