Set the Pace Issue 85 September 2019 by mo hall

CONTENTS A look back at summer Warm Welcomes Farewell and Keep In Touch ICEY Friends Location Map - September 2019 Brave Pants Cup

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Personal Perspectives

Remembering Dorothy Pat Proctor Hindsight Natasha Saunders An Unexpected Adventure Barry Laker Four Nations Young Riders Camp Alex Lane Super Summer Camp Mic Rushen Who Needs Pants Anyway? Shona Stewart Dressage Luan Crawford IHSGB – Introducing the Chairman IHSGB & the Icelandic Horse UK Chat Group

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Achievements In the News

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FEIF – World Championships Showing TREC Adventures

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Opportunities

E-Riders Online Dressage Battle of the Breeds FEIF – Hello Hella - time to join in… IHSGB AGM – A weekend away? Stay Safe Event Organisers Events Banter in the Haunted Old Hills Barn September 2019 As overheard by Fi Pugh

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Autumn Deadline 23rd November 2019 Front Cover: Alex Lane & Glósteinn – Photo: Mic Rushen Back Cover: Lu Crawford & Florrie doing POSH. REPRODUCTION PERMITTED WITH PERMISSION OF ARTICLE AUTHOR/PHOTOGRAPHER

Remember anything that is blue and underlined is a live link, click on it for more information (right click or equivalent if you want the link to open in another window on your browser or use the menu facility on your phone to open it in the browser). NEW – if you would like the e-magazine delivered direct to your kindle let Set the Pace have its email address via PM.

A look back at summer Can you remember back to the beginning of July and the last Set the Pace? What you were doing and planning? I have been blown away by the generosity of people over the summer supporting our young riders for the FEIF youth camp, the Ingleby Hall Four Nations Young Riders Camp and Aidan for the World Championships. We raised over £5000 between us and match funded from the Young Riders Fund which is a very scary thought. Next year the focus will be the FEIF Youth Cup and we are talking to the young riders and young leaders about who might put themselves forward and what help they need to achieve that and be selected by the IHSGB.

Libby Day at the FEIF Youth Camp

It’s truly inspiring to me that the generosity of the chat group has meant we don’t have to limit ourselves to those who can afford to attend these events or who are able to fund raise for themselves but that we can look to the aspirational and talented young people we have in our midst and choose those who will benefit most from the experiences on offer. Our young people have amply rewarded us for our investment in them this year. I am SO proud of all of them, how hard they worked, how well they behaved, what they achieved. We will hear more about that throughout the magazine. We are so lucky to have such a supportive and responsive group. I hope you enjoy the news roundup and original articles and thank you all so much for your continued support and willingness to share your triumphs and challenges both on the chat group and in more detail in the magazine. Mo Hall

Warm Welcomes Since the last issue we passed 1000 members in the chat group. Quite a milestone. It’s such a warm and supportive group of online and in-person friends from around the world who share a passion for the Icelandic horse. Unusually this time I met quite a lot of the new people in person at the Ingleby camp – more of that later… We welcome friends old and new this issue: Judith Dalziel, Sarah Thompson, Adrian Hardwick-Ford, Suzann Bramhall, Rita Kaar, Bille Di, Kate Williams, Heather Close, GR Tyson, Anne Height, Jae Tysoe, Dagmar Trodler, Mary Thew, Karen Doherty, Smári Gunnarsson, Freija Thye, Monica Owen, Lene Christin Fahlstad, Arnþrúður Heimisdóttir, Jackie Frith, Teland Rune Svendsen, Nicolai Thye, Birgitte Helena Lütken, Malin M Persson, Stefanie Rhine, Amanda Merrick, Yasmin Ticquet, Katherine Kitchen, Ingibjörg Rannveig Ingólfsdóttir, Caroline Donaldson, Emma Jones, Anna Rebecca Egli, Tha Buttn, Julie Normington, Gerry Orchard, Helen Sunderland, Rhiannon Taylor, Emily Mathieson, Scott Masson, Alisha Taylor, Freya Masson, Lisa Stanhope, Suzanne Northfield, Ellie Skeels, Heather Smee, Jane 4

Mandi, Evelina Smedman, Melanie Fyhn, Max Brown, Ana Page, Cathinka Kjelstrup Paterson, Abigail Withey, Charlotte Schreiber, Lucy Hunt, Ed Neil-Gallacher, Chris Crawley, Raymond Campkin, Catherine Pye, Arfur Macdowall, Veerle De Coninck, Jóhann Konráð Birgisson. There have also been quite a lot of new horses arriving in the UK over the last couple of months (foals and imports). It seems to me the biggest influx in a short period for a long time. Mic Rushen seems to have acquired a very special horse . We welcome;

Farewell and Keep In Touch It was very sad to wave a virtual goodbye to Maike Ahlgrimm a few weeks ago. Maike has been a regular at Oakfield both for camps and Fi courses. Always cheerful, helpful and encouraging; she will be sorely missed. We send you our best wishes and please do keep in touch via the chat group when you can.

ICEY Friends Location Map - September 2019 As you can see from the map above we are very widespread in the UK, literally from Land’s End to north of John O’ Groats and a few in Europe now as well. It’s great to see the map grow; you can add yourself to the map: (PC, Mac & ipad only, you can view and edit on a phone but not add yourself.)   

Click here and enter your postcode in the search bar Click add to map Click on the edit icon (pencil icon) change postcode to your name, add details you want in the box below (add photos with the camera icon) click save. You don’t need to do any more than that but if you want to change your icon from a teardrop to a horse or something more interesting you can do that by clicking the paint pot. If you get stuck, just drop me a PM and I will help you out. Back to Contents

Brave Pants Cup Helena has kindly allowed us to use her Brave Pants cartoon to make a Set the Pace Brave Pants Cup. Actually, it’s a personalised mug, more practical, but cup sounds more trophy like. We award brave pants mugs for each issue to the people the editorial team thinks have stepped out of their comfort zone. (Editorial team are Mic, Lu & Mo) You have to be in it to win it which means talking about your challenges on the chat group or your personal or group pages (the ones we belong to or are friends with). We haven’t awarded any brave pants cups this issue – not because people haven’t been putting their brave pants on but because we wanted to reward dedication and commitment just for this issue. As far as brave pants goes, special mention has to go to everyone on the youth camp. It was very challenging and everyone stepped up and faced those challenges when travel plans went arwy, weather was awful, horses didn’t read the script and a myriad of other very real challenges which had to be met on the fly. Also to Lu Crawford for getting out there and jumping and doing dressage alongside the big horses. This issue we are presenting biggest fan cups to Liz Kraft and, of course, Kirsty Carson. I am sure we all recognise the commitment and support Kirsty has put in both to her own boys and to the IHSGB. Liz is a new figure to me and I am very grateful to her, she keeps me informed about what is going on out in the far reaches of the UK and her enthusiasm and support not just for Aidan, but for others who are often too shy to blow their own trumpet. Mugs will be on their way but there is a slight delay on them as my workshop looks like this until after the show (there is a window in the hole now thankfully)…Back to Contents 13

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES Remembering Dorothy

Pat Proctor

These were their 5 horses originally from Alnwickhill, which they took to Epsom. Hrimnir, Lifur, Api, Grani and Sokki. 15

Gennie on Sokki, Epsom Downs

Dorothy on her beloved Brunka

The weekly housewives ride

The Burton Family 16

I have a huge debt of gratitude to Cedric and Dorothy for sending Brunka and Vindur here when they retired. They were the first Icelandic horses in East Lothian. Finally, a small tribute to Dorothy. While I was editor of the IHSGB Newsletter, I included an Icelandic recipe each time. This one was special. FOOD FOR THOUGHT When I read the article ‘Food for Thought” in the Autumn Newsletter, my taste buds were stirred and I had a sudden longing for a bowl of authentic Icelandic skyr, eaten preferably in a warm, friendly Icelandic farmhouse kitchen – as I had tasted it first in 1960 when I had been one of a party from Epsom, Surrey who rode across the Central Desert from Reykjavik to Bloenduos. It is a very simple dish – really just fine curds beaten up with fresh milk – or even cream – to form a thick, delicious treat, thick enough to stand a spoon up in. This, with cream poured over and a little brown sugar sprinkled over is food for the gods. I tried to reproduce this delight when we returned home and found that the nearest thing to it could be made as follows: You will need a wide necked thermos flask 1 ½ pints of milk (full fat I assume as it was before the days of semi-skimmed) 6 rounded tablespoons of milk powder ½ tub of good, set natural yoghurt.     

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Fill the thermos flask with hot water and set aside Heat milk in saucepan to 120f or rather warmer than lukewarm, beating in the milk powder while it heats. Mix a little of the warm milk into the yoghurt and then pour it back into the saucepan, mixing thoroughly. Tip into the heated thermos, seal with the cork and lid and leave undisturbed for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Line a colander with a linen napkin or something similar and pour the resulting curds in. Leave to drain and when well drained, fold the cloth over the curds, top with a suitable weight and weigh down with 3 or 4lbs (I use all my scale weights). When as much of the whey as possible has been drained off I usually tip the curds into a clean, dry napkin and replace under the weights for a while. 17

This should give you about 12oz of a firm white curd, which should then be beaten at a slow speed in a mixer whilst gradually adding fresh milk – or single cream and fresh milk until it becomes thick and smooth. It is essential to refrigerate the skyr before eating and you will find that it thickens slightly when cold. Well, I am off to hunt out my wide-necked Thermos Flask – I haven’t made skyr for quite a while, but I am about to put that right. Dorothy Burton

Hindsight

Natasha Saunders

What to say to Introduce Natasha, I saw her Facebook post earlier in the summer and was moved by the difference Icelandics had made to her life and looked at her online magazine and was impressed. I wanted to include Natasha’s story as told on FB in the magazine, I had saved it as a snippet and forgot to ask Natasha if it was OK to use it. I messaged her at 3.30pm today and she offered to expand it, I said yes, if she had time – I was hoping to publish this evening – not expecting what followed and now I am pretty speechless and blown away. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Few of us can look back and not wish to change things or see a chain of events falling into place for us; it is what you make of the outcome that defines us. My name is Natasha Saunders; I am 30 years old, married to my best friend and mother to 3 children. No, Icelandic’s don’t feature in this story just yet but bear with me. At 17 I meet a man who took 8 years of my life by hiding me behind closed doors, isolating me and abusing me. Mental, Physical, Sexual, Financial, if you can think of a type of abuse, I expect he perpetrated it towards me. I finally broke free with my two young children in January 2015. After finding a new home after leaving a Refuge, we finally settled into a new, healthy, way of life. Then in April of that year I met a man who also was to change my life, except this time for the better. It was utter bliss to have my freedom, feel loved and to be respected. Just 5 weeks after we met, I had a stroke. It deeply affected my right side and once again I was a prisoner, this time of my own body. We moved across the country to Nottinghamshire and started again. I continued to build my equestrian magazine In the Stirrups, although the online stalking and pressure of my health issues meant we stopped putting out issues and just focused on our social media. My health took away my lifetime passion of riding, it was too painful and my balance was gone. We had a son, got married and fought against the conditions arising from the stroke in 2015. Eventually, in 2018, my ex was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the Rape committed against me but I was still struggling against my health trying to drag me down. In November 2018 we booked a trip to Iceland, coinciding with my 30th birthday, and planned to do all the sites etc. On the third day we visited Islenski Hesturinn, just outside Reykjavik and there I rode my first Icelandic, Loki. 19

He was as fiery as his name but impeccably behaved and Begga, the owner, was the most wonderful host. Both Ben and I loved the Tolt and I was mesmerised by being able to sit in the saddle again. When we came home, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shake the desire to see and learn more about this amazing breed and I joined the Icelandic UK Chat group on Facebook. Everyone was wonderful and through there I met Sylvia Best who so kindly allowed me to start riding her lovely mare Glora. Shortly after I spoke with Janice of Midfield Farm in Cumbria and she suggested we go up to view two older horses looking for their forever homes. Ben and I travelled up and met Raena and Vinur with hope in our hearts. Thanks to Janice and Tim being so helpful we had found the perfect horses for our family. We left, in love with both of them and 2 weeks later brought them down to our own little place near our home and the rest is history! We completed our little herd with a miniature Shetland called Archie and every day is like my birthday. To breathe that horsey smell, wrap my arms around their neck and know that they are mine is just indescribable. Both horses are excellent under the saddle for me, their patience and sensibility are priceless and I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change a thing about them. They are part of our family and the effect having them has had on my health is profound. I am fitter, stronger, more confident and not to mention the thrill and happiness they bring me. But aside from myself, our children adore them and Ben has thrown himself fully into being a Horsey Husband. He loves them as much as I do. I guess the moral of this story is to never give up, never look down unless itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to admire your riding boots and always have hope. I have experienced the worst of humans, but also the best. Through the Icelandic community you have all helped me to find my independence, my happiness and best of all, that Icey Smile! Vinnie and Raena have their own Facebook page called Toltally Horsesome if you would like to follow them!

Raena has the kindest eye; at 19 she was very well trained and very sensible.

Vinnie; he hadn’t been under the saddle in 3 yrs yet I hopped on and he was as super star. He is 16 but you’d need to remind him as he is sure he isn’t a day over 5. 22

An Unexpected Adventure

Barry Laker

Iceland is always an adventure but this trip’s been something else! I agreed to come back to Bjarnastaðir Horse Tours and help out for a month like I have done for the last few years, in theory just as a family friend rather than guide or staff.

Haldor – enjoying a break – a month before the trouble began…

The first three days were great everything was as normal. As the first week progressed Haldor, the owner of the farm, started looking increasingly ill. By Thursday afternoon I was trying to get him to call into the hospital in Húsavik as we were already there visiting Geosea; a thermal bath with sea water. Being a stubborn Icelandic farmer he refused and came into Geosea with me and the guests, afterwards he looked like death warmed up and he still refused so I contacted the daughter who got her brother to come and meet us halfway home. 23

He deteriorated very quickly and luckily the son met us as agreed. When handing Haldor over to him I quietly said he needs to go to hospital asap as I recognised some of the symptoms. Anyway the son agreed and called an ambulance which then took 1.5 hrs to reach Akureyri which is the closest main hospital. They operated on him straight away. The surgeon said he was very lucky and if he had left it another hour or so the outcome would have been very different. Haldor had a tear in his intestines from a fall a few weeks before but had not taken any action such as seeing a Doctor, so not much sympathy from me! Once the immediate worry about Haldor was over, the question remained what about the remainder of the current tour? Luckily I knew the route so with the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agreement and confidence that it would be OK for me to lead the tour, I took on this huge challenge. The remaining days luckily went like clockwork with no incidents...it was very stressful!

Barry the Boss

There was still an Arctic North tour, a Northern Exposure tour plus the sheep roundup. The family agreed that I should be boss for these as they trust me with both guests and the herd of 87 horses. The Arctic North tour was great only a small group of guests and with staff there was only 10 people everyone was happy and it was a bit of a holiday...

The next Northern Exposure tour was back to back with no rest day. There were 16 guests all of which were capable riders which was good as this is one of the toughest tours in Iceland! We had someone ride with us a few days as the route had changed in a few places so I didn't totally know the new route. The weather was OK but nothing special. Luckily we've had no injuries to horse and rider with only one fall where the horse stumbled. 25

The staff are always a challenge as most are young and inexperienced and often have their head In a cloud. They all mucked in as I was happy to ask them for help which Haldor never does. He likes to do everything the hard way by himself. I have now had a 4-5 day so-called rest but have cleaned and oiled 40 saddles and maybe 45 bridles and nosebands all ready for winter and next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tours. I have also spent time rounding up sheep on the farm which is a nightmare as the ground is really bad to ride over which is why the guest sheep roundup is done elsewhere. Haldor the farmer is now out of hospital and taking it as easy as he can ...which isn't easy at all...so far he hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ridden a horse which is something! We are picking the guests up for the roundup tomorrow. Thankfully it will only be 2 guests from France so I am hopeful things will be OK and I won't lose anyone. The weather forecast is not too bad so keeping my g fingers crossed but it changes every 5 minutes over here! Looking forwards to returning home next Tuesday and my normal life resuming as this month really has been very testing, stressful and tiring...did someone say a holiday to the med somewhere?

Haldor 5th September 2019

The herd of horses has been left 40 km away until November when they will be moved closer to the farm...somehow I've been volunteered to come and help...sound a bit chilly to me Brrrrr! I have still managed to have lots of fun and make new friends but I think I will become a hermit for a week or two once home. I am planning to come to the Oakfield show with TĂgull but if I'm shattered I may just pop down and say hi to everyone and sleep the rest of the weekend! 26

Four Nations Young Riders Camp

Alex Lane

On the 24rd of July, four Shetlanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boarded the ferry to begin their trip down to Lincolnshire and attend the first Four Nations Youth Camp. Along the way, they picked up their two lost sheep that were already wandering around Englandshire, and the unforgettable Mo Hall who would shepherd them across the country to the destination. They arrived safely, dazed and frightened, the unfamiliar sun blazing down on them.

Alright, not quite, but it was definitely a lot hotter than we were used to! Once introductions were made, tents set up, a few horses turned out, the wonderful food was served and everyone could relax and begin to bond. That continued over the whole camp â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lots of laughter, new far away friends being made, and so much excellent food! I can only really speak for the Shetland girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, but the combination of superb instruction, new experiences, and the beautiful horses that bring us all together made for an incredible camp. TREC training with Rebekah was the first time our girls had done anything of the sort, and they all got right into it, competitive spirits flaring at challenges before them. Mary encouraged a new way of working with the horses, a more thoughtful and considerate approach which will stick with the girls. With Ann, they showed off their hard earned dressage skills, which translated over to their drill riding to impress her and Mic. Mic, whom they loved with her forthright manner, and showing of their various related skills, such as standing on the horses, half AND full scissors, and even their somersaulting dismounts.

I have no idea who taught them THAT, I just hope no one was smacked in the face by a flailing hand… And of course, this camp couldn’t have been done without Mo. With Oakfield’s funding to match whatever the girls raised, we were able to get down and join in the fun and learning. As the weather was fairly dreich, the indoor activities with Mo allowed for lots of chattering and laughter instead of moping about. My idiot son even has a new nameplate to show off to his field mates. At the end of the camp, there was a show for everyone to show off their new skillz. The girls dived right in, and made quite the impression with their determination and guts. Even I was allowed to join in on the gorgeous Máttur (Gerry and Julie – if your horses are ever not in the field, they’ll be up in Scotland for a peerie holiday, and will be back… eventually). So we would like to thank you all for having us. From food that we ate til we had to be rolled back to our tent, to laughter that hurt our stomachs, new friends that we’ll keep in touch with, instructors that made a steep learning curve barely feel like work, and to everybody who brought their horses and let us learn and fall even more in love with these magnificent animals, thank you.

Super Summer Camp

Mic Rushen

Last year I was poorly and couldn’t make it to the Old Hills Summer Camp, but this year it was all systems go; off on a road trip on the bank holiday weekend with my trusty steed and my glamping mobile (aka the horse trailer with a camp bed). Well, what a fab weekend! With lovely people and lots of fun, it took me right back to “the old days” of Icelandics in the UK when we would all do lots of daft stuff during the day with our nags, then sit around in the evening with a shared supper, laughing, talking and singing our hearts out. Impressions:        

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all sorts of horses and riders, from green new imports to old stalwarts (the horses were interesting too ), sat in a field by the Malvern Hills, doing gaits classes in 30 degree heat on a grass oval track… great instruction, as always, from Fi, who positively thrived in the hot sun while the rest of us were wilting in the shade happy horses with a massive grassy field and lots of space for paddocks, as well as the common for some fun rides out and a treasure hunt – which most of us forgot to do as we were all too busy chatting while riding out a very useful Summer Camp Kit to make a very fancy fly fringe – much easier than the rope head collar, thank goodness Tolt/Trot in Harmony (sadly renamed the FEIF Figures Test) with some of the funniest “circles” ever – but also some really good riding amazing food prepared by the talented Ian Pugh – next stop Masterchef! (ooooooh that quiche…) very, very silly gymkhana games. No Fi, you do NOT need to make the gymkhana games any harder a memorable evening watching the sunset from under the big oak tree, with a lovely Indian takeaway (sorry for the extra work Fi & Ian), far too much gin (yes Debbie and H I mean YOU!), and conversations that ranged from the sublime to the utterly ridiculous. Oh, and the singing – yes, song sheets will be supplied next year – apologies in advance to the neighbours great support from everyone, all utterly chilled out, exactly what being part of the whole Icelandic Horse ‘scene’ is all about

So, yes. An excellent weekend and I think I can safely say we were all very sad when it ended, except possibly for Fi, Ian and the helpers who must have been completely exhausted. I do hope it’s on again next year! 30

Who Needs Pants Anyway?

Shona Stewart

Photo credit: Steinunn Guรฐbjรถrnsdรณttir Picture the scene: Me, at the very last minute, throwing some kit into a bag. (forgetting to pack pants), getting in the car and double checking for my passport. You know what happens next; emptying of the bag, back inside emptying of jacket pockets, drawers, leaving a trail of chaos behind me for my husband to come into the house having found it in my bag. Driven at speed in silence to the train station and quick goodbye while being thrown onboard with the said oversized bag which I was already regretting. This trip which I had dreamt of but in reality had such little time to look forward to between work, home and seeing to horses, it had seemed so far off and now suddenly I was on my way. Some years earlier I met Meike Witt, a German living with her husband in Aberdeen. She had been living in Iceland and was keen to maintain contact with the Icelandic horses while she planned her return on a more permanent basis. We kept in contact and I visited their beautiful home built into a mountainside and which looks across at Hella. The kids were growing up and spoke fluent Icelandic and I could see that Iceland was under their skin. While I loved my visits and Meike even organised a horse training trip; I never quite got it. I could see the mountains were beautiful and the air clean and refreshing, I even bought the jumper.

In early 2019 I received an email inviting a friend and me on a special trip being arranged by Meike and Steinnen for friends and family. This was to be a one off billed as riding their favourite routes in a small group from the shadows of Hekla through valleys, passing long abandoned farms, through forest and along rivers following the Laxargljufur canyon. How could I refuse? I signed up and it was quickly put to the back of mind until the day before I was due to travel and I pulled out the itinerary. The names sounded like places straight out of the old Icelandic Sagas, Haifoss the waterfall, Holahnjukar basalt columns and the valley of Gjain. I should have read up on all this earlier and could have at least bragged at bit at work about it. We were picked up in Reykjavik by Steinnen and met our fellow travelling companions; two German ladies who were friends of Meike and Steinnen and had both travelled with them before. We stopped only at the tack shop to be shocked by the prices I did however purchase a book of illustrations by Petur Behrens who captures in his paintings the essence of the breed set against Iceland’s mountains and the weather distilled into fine lines and watercolours. As quickly as we could we retreated to the minibus and continued on our way making polite conversation as you do. We headed first to a most unusual restaurant called Friðheimar serving delicious tomato soup and homemade breads set in a greenhouse. What had started off as a small concern and the brain-child of Knútur Rafn Ármann, had grown into a significant business supplying Iceland with around 20% of its tomatoes and feeding coaches of visitors. I had the healthy option of the Bloody Mary, although I wondered if it was too early to drink as I thought I had to look like a serious rider. I weighed up my new companions who both appeared to be well seasoned and were at least wearing the right gear and as the instructions on the menu were “Bloody Mary – now is the best time of the day for a Bloody Mary! Homemade tomato drink with vodka and a drop of Tabasco.” I took the plunge. I had misread the instructions and was frog marching around in tight breeches and gum boots like a real tourist until Meike took me in hand and I spent the next week in borrowed riding trousers and boots. I eventually fell heir to the trousers Meike insisted I keep them; I think she was being polite. So this was the adventure I was so badly prepared for…. 34

Day 1 We were picked up from Reykavik by Steinnen and brought to the amazing Friรฐheimar Tomato soup www.fridheimar.is, who knew you could do so many things with a tomato! Typical of the Icelandic entrepreneurial approach to life, why just grow tomatoes in a greenhouse when you can create a beautiful unique restaurant in it? I can recommend the bloody Mary and it was a nice icebreaker!

We were introduced to some of the horses at Edingaholt farm and rode to Fossnes Farm. Arri, Meike and Steinnen had brought their horses and we were matched based on what they knew of us as riders and horses which had been chosen for the trip. It was fair to say we were all nervous and the horses doubtless sensed this and were on their toes but while they were fast it quickly became apparent that we were fortunate to be riding very well trained horses with amazing gaits who wanted to show themselves off. Throughout the trip we all rode numerous horses and of course had our favourites, I plumped for the two who were like a married couple, always to be found together neither liked to hang around and wanted to be on the move their muscles twitching with excitement whenever they knew were getting ready to move on. 35

Day 2: Riding from Fossnes Farm via the ร jรณrsรกrdalur Valley we were joined by the herd who were all fresh and jostling for position until they settled into a stable group. A pair of horses who had joined us from the farm were determined to head home and it took several attempts to break away taking a few mutinous others with them before they were finally resigned to getting on board. Their owner, a local teacher also joined us later on the trip and it was clear she loved them and their loyalty was to her as they took up a position at the front of the herd thereafter.

We started to make our way made our way to Hólaskogur mountain hut next to Þjórsá glacial river when the sandstorm struck. After a long hot summer with little rain the wind whipped up the baked red sand and we could see no further than a foot in front. The horses leaned into it and kept up a steady but fast tölt for hours it seemed until the Mountain hut came into view. The horses were corralled and given hay while we sought a hot shower and tried to wash the grime and grit out of hair and ears before supper and an early night.

Day 3: We had planned to go to Helgaskáli Mountain hut but due to prevailing sandstorm and on the advice of farmers who had travelled ahead of us we returned to Fossnes Farm. Faced blackened and eyes streaming the two days were a test of endurance for the riders and horses. Trust was built between us all as we saw the measure of the herd and the people.

Main building of the replica of Stöng, which was buried under volcanic ash from the 1104 eruption On the second day with the wind at our back the clouds of sand lifting we made good speed with a stop off at Stöng, the excavation site of an medieval farm that went under ash and pumice in a large Mt. Hekla eruption. We imagined the families who had lived there in times when the valley was lush and they prospered. We rode underneath Dímon mountain and through parts of Skriðufellsskogur forest and stayed another night at Fossnes farm. 37

We took the horses as hand horses back to Geldingaholt farm and went to the Secret Lagoon with a bottle of sparkly to celebrate in style. The spa is low key compared to many others and enjoyed by the locals. It certainly worked its magic on tired muscles. We were very fortunate to be the first visitors to trial Yurts with a difference - under floor heating the sheer luxury! We stayed for two nights at the Yurtel Natura at Kjóastaðir farm and enjoyed amazing food prepared by the hosts in a converted horse barn where Icelandic Saddles had been converted to bar stools and the walls were adorned with tolting horses. It was an amazing contrast to stay in such a variety of accommodation but always the food, locally sourced and prepared on site was the highlight at the end of a day, washed down with Viking Beer and song, including a great many tunes by the Corries. Who would have thought the Wild rover would have been such a hit with the Icelanders!

Day 4.We took the horses and rode from Geldingaholt into the beautiful Valley of the Salmon River Stóra-Laxá. We rode on remote tracks underneath the basalt columns of Hólahnúkar towards the farm Sólheimar. The setting brought solitude and peace when you could allow your mind to empty and leave the worries of life behind and really enjoy the experience Finally I had slowed to the pace of the horses.

Here we visited the bizarre little country museum Samansafnið where we were shown round a car which had been owned by JF Kennedy as well as other items from a harder time in Iceland and people to survive with what they could make, the horsehair ropes were similar to those I had seen used in Mongolia. The day was finished off with another night at the Yurtel Natura and a delicious barbeque served up by the team. Day 5 The last riding day, everyone was quiet however the horses were up for it, they sensed the end of the journey and were keen to be moving. they took us along the banks of glacier river Þjórsá to the old competition grounds of Murneyri. Trails which had been forged over hundreds of years all with stories to tell. Meike our guide was able to share many of them with us as we travelled, we learned about the characters in the Sagas, passed the farms mentioned in stories many years before. These people were our companions as we imagined them riding alongside us, the heroes and the outcasts, survivors just like us they had soaked in the great views of Mt. Hekla and the glaciers Tindfjallajökull and Eyjafjallajökull which had shaped their lives. Now the survival of the glaciers themselves is cast into doubt as Iceland marked the loss of Okjökull with a funeral that week. It seemed fitting to send it off with a wake at Geldingaholt and a malt whisky which had been saved till the end by one of our party. It took me a while to slow to the pace of the horses but I highly recommend “Explore Iceland”; a small company which specialises in bespoke trips and adventures, it is green, ethical and works in cooperation with local farmers and businesses for anyone wishing to enjoy a trip away from the usual tourist trails in a small group serving up delicious food and tales. 39

Dressage

Luan Crawford

So Autumn is approaching, Merkur and I have had a fabulous summer playing dressage, we went out for our 6th my quest competition is August to try and improve our lowest score (top 5 scores are averaged for overall score at the end of the season) we smashed it with our best score at novice my quest yet with 70%, having a lesson during the week before a competition is making so much difference, I go in with my instructor sat on my shoulder and ride properlyâ&#x20AC;Ś.. we got such a good mark in our last outing we gained an extra point too and it put us 3rd out of 94!

On the novice leaderboard, today I received my confirmation email from British dressage for qualifying, so exciting, Merkur and I will be competing in the south west region at summerhouse equestrian in novice my quest regionals on 13th October, I think the top 4 go through to the nationals, I am not holding hope for this as the top 5/6 on the current leaderboard are so close…… I am however from now having weekly lessons in elementary dressage, the next level up, so who knows we may be better by then  last weeks lesson was amazing, Merkur seems to love the challenge, he’s a very clever, very able little horse, the tricky bit is keeping tölt out of the collection work, we have to rethink certain routes to achieve goals without confusing him too much… On the competing theme, We also popped along to a Sunday unaffiliated show and won the novice test in just over 70%, the judge and her writer came over to ask me what breed he was as they knew he was something special, which was lovely, the following weekend we popped along to a local competition yards summer championships we had qualified through quest, so a last minute entry and a very very hot bank holiday Monday afternoon we went, Merkur was fabulous, he tried so hard, he was struggling in the heat but he did the best he could for me and came a very respectable 4th with a good percentage we were up against some super flashy big horses, the judge who judged me the previous weekend was there and recognised us, called me over to see how we had done and have a chat, , and we were recognised by a few Malvern riding club competitors, we are starting to get a name for ourselves ha ha! 41

Several other people have started to join Lu in earning dressage frilliesâ&#x20AC;Ś.

IHSGB â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Introducing the Chairman One of my personal favourite things about the IHSGB is their new chairperson Peter Heathcote. Peter is quite new to the Icelandic horse world and was elected to the role of Chairman at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IHSGB AGM. I sent Peter an email asking him if he would like to reflect on his first year (and as an excuse to use the picture of him winning our Spring Fancy Dress at the Oakfield show, thanks Mic!) He takes a good photo does our Chairman and his enthusiasm promoting the Icelandic horse and the IHSGB at every opportunity is a joy to followâ&#x20AC;Ś Dear Mo, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to feedback on my first year as IHSGB Chairperson. In 2019 I was honoured to be elected as chair to the IHSGB in Edinburgh. As a relatively new member of the society I felt the weight of responsibility to ensure that I offered my support, guidance and encouragement to the existing board as well as developing sustainable new ideas and initiatives that could and should stand the test of time long after my term in office has concluded. Attending the FEIF conference in Berlin was both a fascinating and daunting experience. I was made to feel very welcome by the delegates and board members of FEIF and I was delighted to make new friends and acquaintances that were passionate about the Icelandic horse. It was a real honour to be at the table with the chairpersons and to learn of their developments throughout the year. I gave a short update to the Chairs on the plans we had for GB as well as the work that had been taking place over the preceding year. One key area of great interest to me related to judge training, I was concerned that if we did not initiate a sustainable program in 2019 we faced the very real possibility of not having any regional or international judges in the future making events far more difficult and costly to organise as it would be necessary to bring judges in from abroad. My first meeting with Fi Pugh our only international judge, was extremely productive and resulted in the judge training phase 1 being launched successfully with an impressive number of participants keen to develop their skills and commence training. Attending the World Championships in Berlin was quite demanding and inspiring, I personally did not know quite what to expect and was overwhelmed by the number of invitations I received on behalf of the IHSGB 44

from the mayor of Berlin, the senator of home affairs, the organisers and others as well as the sheer scale of the event. I have tremendous admiration and respect for any rider who can compete under such pressure in front of 10,000 spectators. Over the past year I have watched the number of events across the UK increase for riders of all abilities to find ways to train and improve together with their horses. I am pleased to be seen as a leisure rider who wishes to improve and I feel that our members welcome my occasional light hearted approach as seen in the fancy dress competition at Oakfield. What truly amazing and diverse horses we have that allow us to have such wonderful fun together celebrating life and the Icelandic horse with like minded people. I have to admit winning the fancy dress competition was a highlight of the year and to see the portrait by Helena Leigh Levett in the British Championships show magazine was incredible and certainly made me smile. In 2020 I plan to focus on ensuring we deliver phase 2 of Judge training. Education and youth are key areas of development for the society along with leisure. My role is to ensure that the trustee holding that office is fully supported and encouraged in developing and delivering on initiatives. My personal goal as a rider is to continue to enjoy the time with my horse out on the mountains and at training courses and events across the UK. The way I feel we should encourage people to join or rejoin the IHSGB is by our actions, when people see what we are doing and achieving it makes perfect sense to become a part of it. As we all know actions speak louder than words and I believe our actions this year should inspire our members and others watching to join us and help us to fulfil the aims and objectives of the society. Peter Heathcote - Chairperson

IHSGB & the Icelandic Horse UK Chat Group There are many new people joining the chat group and reaching 1000 members on the chat group seems a good time to spend a moment explaining the different roles of the IHSGB, Sleipnir, British Championships and IHSGB supported courses and events and the Icelandic Horse Chat UK, Set the Pace & Oakfield shows & courses (and other private venues). We all promote and support the Icelandic horse in the UK. The IHSGB is the official UK regulatory body and Sleipnir is its magazine produced four times a year electronically and in paper for the membership. The IHSGB cover all the formal issues around Icelandic horses in the UK as well as competitions; registration of horses, s/election of representatives for official roles and functions (sport team, youth riders, leaders, trustees, etc) see the Facebook Page or the Website for their full remit. The elected trustees manage all aspects of the IHSGB according to their terms of reference and meet online and in person several times a year... Members pay a membership fee and receive the services listed on the page linked.

Icelandic Horse Chat UK is an online meeting place for friends of the Icelandic

Horse in Great Britain, for chat, news, photos and everything else to do with Icelandic horses and their people both here and abroad. Set the Pace is our free electronic magazine (and associated infrequently used blog site) with live links to other online organisations, articles, events etc. It is produced six times a year as it has a huge range of interests to cover. 46

The magazine is a place for longer articles and an overview of the previous couple of months on the chat group and opportunities to join in for the next months. Set the Pace can be purchased in paper for ÂŁ3 per issue on a per issue basis or if you wish to pay annually ÂŁ18 per year. The magazines and other publications are freely available via the facebook page (under files) and online via Issuu. We also organise fund raising for individuals who want an opportunity to represent the UK in a formal role. The IHSGB policy is generally that all participants must be self funding although a discretionary grant can sometimes be available. The Icelandic Horse UK Chat group is a central hub for ALL organisations that have a place for Icelandic horses in their interests. The IHSGB of course, FEIF, BHS, TREC, Tolt Club, Horse Agility, Showing (local shows and national competitions), E-riders online dressage, Endurance riding, Artists and artisans and many more small/personal organisations that organise or provide services and their events. You name it, if there are Icelandics involved in it either on a personal or organisational basis, we report on the involvement of the chat group members in it. (or the members do, mostly). We hold a historical library of articles, links and responses via the topics feature available on Facebook. Information on accessing this library is available at the front of the magazine. We are unregulated volunteers and friends who act together to support one another and promote all aspects of the Icelandic horse.

ACHIEVEMENTS We like to celebrate all the achievements people on the chat group share with us. Some are nationally and internationally significant; others only mean anything to the people involved. Regardless of their wider significance, it’s great to share them and celebrate them within our Icelandic horse community, most of them are related to our horse activities but a few are significant in other ways.

Daisy Taylor BSc (Hons), MSc (Dist) This time of year many of our young riders and young leaders are gaining qualifications. We send our congratulations to Daisy Taylor who is officially brilliant (as if there was any doubt) we exchange messages every couple of months and I know how much she has sacrificed over the last couple of years for this. We send Daisy our warmest congratulations and look forward to what is next for her. Daisy Taylor, BSc (Hons), MSc (Dist) in Equine Science. Not only did she achieve a distinction for her Masters degree, she won the Equine Science Dissertation Thesis Award. Frances (her mum) wrote in her blog “Her dissertation was a massive labour of love – Seasonal variation of time budgets in domesticated male Icelandic horses at pasture (a catchy title). In Daisy’s own words “This study aimed to assess the seasonal variation in behaviour and body condition of seven domesticated Icelandic geldings and one stallion at pasture during winter and spring in fair weather conditions by utilising visual and indirect methods of observation.” Read Frances’s whole article here http://myshetland.co.uk/hard-work-pays-off/ 48

IN THE NEWS Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to see and hear the chat group members promoting Icelandics in the mainstream news â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Horse & Hound, Your Horse, East Anglia Rider (Martine Bye-Duke) and the World Championship daily paper (Wayne Hanlon)

FEIF â&#x20AC;&#x201C; World Championships Much has been said (including by me) about TEAM GB this year. What a fantastic World Championships we had. Just a little more basking and reflecting for those who are not Facebook aficionados. The photo below is very special. Gundula Sharman is presenting Aidan with his first silver medal (for those of you who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know he won two and so did Charlotte Cook). Gundula is Chairperson of the FEIF Youth Committee but is also one of the IHSGB area representatives in Scotland. She has seen Aidan progress through various FEIF and IHSGB youth activities at many events over the last few years and to be able to present his first medal was a very special once in a lifetime experience. It brought tears to my eyes and what a fantastic reward for the endless effort Gundula puts in to the FEIF youth work.

It seems appropriate to give the last word to the medallists themselves:

I caught up with Aidan before putting the magazine together. He is mid moving at the moment so very briefly he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life after the World Championships is strange, still taking it all in and trying to understand what we achieved. The rest of the summer Ă&#x201C;Ă°inn will be resting before starting to his training again in the autumn. We plan to come back again next year in the senior classes and hope to put up a bit of a fight. 54

Showing Congratulations to Martine & Harriet who collected rather a lot of rosettes while they were flying the flag for the Icelandics earlier in the month. Our Shetland contingent had their first taste of “Foreign Breeds” at their local show as well as the in hand show. Lu ventured out for her once a year showing adventure. It’s such a lot of work so well done everyone. Kathryn Wogan was unable to attend the APHS show this weekend although she qualified and Barry was busy!

I’m glad I only really do it once a year, it’s hard work a lot of hanging about and always down to an opinion, likes and dislikes of a judge, but it’s great for the horses education , I was only going to enter if I could find someone to help me hog and de fluff Florrie, her mane was too fluffy and thick to plait but too short and fluffy to do a running plait, and I REALLY can’t be bothered plaiting, so off it came thanks to equine beauty technician Naomi Richards (and me and my scissors on the legs and tail pulling) this meant there was no backing out, (she looks so different) so I asked Emma if she would like to show Björt as a thank you to her for all her help the past year but she had to do the work herself.... The evening before was bath day, scrubbed to within an inch of their lives and rugged to the eyeballs overnight they came in this morning remarkably clean. Off we popped to Hillview, Florrie looked like a polo pony with her tail bandaged up high and leg boots on covering everything possible to avoid the Pooh in the trailer being rubbed in. 58

I entered Florrie in ridden and in hand classes this time, her first ever ridden showing classes, we did the ridden novice first, a class for horses not to have been placed first or second in any ridden showing class, apart from having to give Bjort a running commentary she was so well behaved, a pro at standing still in a line up and waiting, and almost a pro at her little show (see video on Lu’s FB page) the judge really liked our little show off and gave us 2nd place on turn out and the show. This qualified us for the ridden championship class at the end of the show (I didn’t wait I came home) Straight after was ridden best turned out, I nipped back to the trailer to re paint her feet and a quick brush n polish up of my tack boots etc, she sneaked a snatch of grass and we had green froth in the class but we got a very respectable 5th place and she was less chatty this time Then it was the in hand classes, I had to whip the saddle off and run to the next arena for best turned out In hand, as it had started, we had saddle marks, agghhhh!! But the judge was so lovely she said she would ignore the saddle marks as it wasn’t my fault the classes clashed and we WON it also qualifying us for the in hand championship class. Emma and Bjort got picked in the in hand turn out too but Emma forgot her hat and gloves so was penalised but they both looked very smart and Bjort was an angel. Lastly was the in hand coloured class, Florrie had had enough she refused to trot up in hand and just wanted to see Bjort all the time) may have helped it Bjort was in front of me rather than behind) the judge said it was such a shame she didn’t comply, we came 6th Emma and Bjort came 5th, she remembered her hat and gloves this time

As the championship class was straight after I took Florrie in that, Bjort went back to the trailer so Florrie was a bit more animated but still wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trot up nicely so we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get placed, I decided not to wait for the ridden championship class as Florrie had had enough now so we came home All in all we had a great day, weather was perfect, horses were perfect and we came home with frillies and hopefully a few nice professional photos when they are posted up, Florrie and I can do posh (see back cover).

TREC Adventures Rebekah Spowage has been our usual TREC correspondent over the last year but in the last issue we introduced Jenny Sheen as well. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been good following both Rebekah and Jennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trec Adventures over the summer and learning a little about TREC first hand at the Ingleby Camp. Firstly Rebekah.

And Jenny Sheen, firstly we promised to catch up with her adventures at the TREC Scottish Championships in Alford in July, Solly couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have done any better!

Then the Level 2 Individual National Championships in Peeblesâ&#x20AC;¦

OPPORTUNITIES E-Riders Online Dressage Battle of the Breeds

For those of you who think you might like to have a go over on Halfkey Icelandics Lu has been encouraging everyone to join together and promote Icelandics by joining in the Battle of the Breeds on E-Riders. To encourage you further the Halfkey September Challenge will be a rosette and a prize for the person who does best in their chosen classâ&#x20AC;Ś..

More Details hereâ&#x20AC;Ś https://www.facebook.com/groups/Halfkeyicelandichorses/

FEIF – Hello Hella - time to join in… As many of you will know Gundula has been organising a virtual ride to the next landmark competition for several years now. They begin immediately after the previous event (The World Championships this time) and end at the next one – it’s a way for everyone to join in whether you ride 100 or 1000km a year, your km kan kount, either as individual or teams or just for fun and friendship on a fantastic Facebook group (I will stop with the alliteration now) Hello Hella Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/496137497819806/ Website: https://feif-virtual.weebly.com/

IHSGB AGM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A weekend away? The IHSGB AGM is open to everyone, member or not (only members can vote) and is held in November (Nov 16th this year) at a different venue to enable as many people as possible to attend as often as possible. This year the venue is at the Horse Trust, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.

20 minutes drive away from the Horse Trust is Cholsey Farm Riding. A venue recommended by one of the chat group members. Anyone who wants to can organise rides out/pub meal for themselves or with friends and make use of the fantastic facilities at Cholsey. I dropped Jackie a line and this was her response soâ&#x20AC;Ś over to you. Dear Mo Thank you for your enquiry and that absolutely fine for the weekend of the 16th November, I don't have any bookings at the moment for that weekend so have loads of space for camping in lorry with electric hook up or staying in tents and our twin bed self catering accommodation is also available. We also run a CL see website below - so anyone with a caravan could also stay over there and keep horses with us. Anyone wanting to stay over should contact me direct and we can book them in. Jackie Howard-Jones 01491-638-736 0775-477-2140 www.cholseyfarmriding.co.uk (Riding) www.cholseygrange.co.uk (Caravan CL)

https://www.facebook.com/job_opening/2874919842579836/?source=post 67

Stay Safe

What3words Over the last 6 months or so this app has been gaining popularity with emergency services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very simple and allows you to give a memorable set of three words to the emergency services which will identify exactly where you are if you need to get emergency services to where you are. Watch the video or read more at: https://www.facebook.com/what3words/videos/1996746003757080/

Event Organisers Devon & Cornwall Icelandics (Harriet Vincent)

Several Endurance Rides available locally organised by South West Endurance GB See our facebook group for who is going.

Dragon Riders (Mic Rushen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wales)

Houlls Horses & Hounds , (Dorothy Sales – Shetland Isles)

https://www.facebook.com/gwen.stopper56/videos/10214429296581622/

Halfkey Icelandic Horses (Lu Crawford – online covers whole country) If you don’t have any events near you and you fancy a fun challenge why not join the Halfkey Icelandic Horse community. The September challenge is to enter the E-Riders Battle of the Breeds

Icelandic Horses in Scotland (Lothians)-IHSGB Affiliated (Delia Marriott)

Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain (FEIF registered body for governance of UK Sport Competitions & Breeding) (see other event organisers for IHSGB Events)

Ingleby Hall Livery (Rebekah Spowage ) Oakfield Icelandic Horses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Verwood Dorset (Nick Foot- Mo Hall, Verwood, Dorset)

New Over & District Riding Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (Lesley Dellar)

Old Hills Icelandics (Ian & Fi Pugh- Malvern, Worcester) South Central Icelandic Horse (Barry Laker/Thalia Colyer, covers Hampshire, IOW, West Sussex, Surrey, East Dorset, Wiltshire & Berkshire.)

Take it Isi (Gundula Sharman, Shona Stewart) Tölting Angles (Dave & Ann Savage – Pinchbeck Icelandic Horses, Lincolnshire)

Tölt.Club (Mo Hall, Shona Stewart, online hub for coaching & competition, worldwide) Nine months in to our bold experiment to find out how we can be a widely spread but actively interacting community we have

   

a growing online agility competition, a new online gaited dressage competition starting September a new three part online TREC competition with gait, map reading and TREC obstacle competitions. The Tolt.Club Wall of Fame has a lovely crop happy faces and well appreciated rosettes, awarded for merit not points at have-a-go shows, local shows and Foreign Breed classes around the country.

The blog which has been well supported is quiet while the weather is so lovely outside, much better to be doing than writing about it, the writing will come back again later on in the year! The facebook page is very active. Come on over and see for yourself what we are up to and join in.

Viking Horses of Yorkshire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IHSGB Affiliated (Bethany AF)

Events Most events are now hosted on the Set the Pace Facebook Page and shared weekly on the chat group. We cover local events shared by chat group members, shows with Foreign Breed Classes, camps, organised rides, clinics, as well as Icelandic specific events. More details are available on each event on Facebook. Those that either are not events yet on Facebook or have not been shared with Set the Pace are shown in ordinary type below with contact details. If you want to advertise an event that is open to Icelandic horses please share it to the Set the Pace Facebook page or make Set the Pace a co host.

The link for all facebook events is here.

Banter in the Haunted Old Hills Ba rn September 2019

Helgi Erró Helgi Radius Maron Erró Radius Helgi Radius

Erró Helgi 78

As overheard by Fi Pugh

Days are beginning to draw in a bit. She’s muttering about autumn and not having enough time to finish those summer jobs. Well, she’s been away most of the summer, hasn’t she? I hope she has time to fix the mats in my stable. Never mind the mats; I need my special stuff to give me more energy. I always get tired when I grow my new coat. I want some of that, too. I got some last year, and I felt much better. I don’t know why you think you need special treatment. I’m feeling full of energy. I’m feeling much better now it isn’t so hot, too. Talking of hot, did you see the ladies, yesterday? Ladies? Do you call them ladies? I could think of better ways of describing them. Especially that weird coloured one with blue eyes. There’s nothing wrong with blue eyes. I think she looked very attractive. I only got a glimpse but they did come up for a pedicure and I could smell they had been in my stable. Keep well out of their way, that way trouble lies…. I suppose Lipurtá isn’t too bad. She’s nice and quiet and doesn’t cause any trouble.

Erró Radius Maron Radius

Helgi Erró Helgi Maron Erró Helgi Erró

Helgi

Maron Radius Helgi Erró Helgi Radius

Maron

Radius

Your ears were even on the right way round when she walked in, Helgi, I think you might have almost smiled at her. Did you really, Helgi? Did you smile? Go on, show us again. Pleeeeese. Mind your manners, Radius. We have our reputations to consider, and those of our ancestors. Only joking, Maron. No need to be all superior. Helgi, your lady friend looked really old, though. Do you think she will get as old as EldShh, idiot, don’t say the name. The Ancient Orange One. Did someone say Eldur? No, no no. He’s not getting my stable. Now look what you’ve done, Radius, he’s gone all shaky again. Calm down, Erró, he isn’t coming back. He keeps visiting me at night. He does. He keeps saying winter is coming and he wants his stable back, It’s my stabYes, yes, it’s your stable, and he isn’t coming back. But he was talking about competitions and judging and how he wanted to go to the Autumn show and stand in the middle and give out the marks. He couldn’t do that, could he? He doesn’t know how to do it? Of course not. Mind you, not everyone who stands in the middle knows how to do it. I’m sure I should have got better marks in my competition days. I think your marks were very accurate. Only really good horses get high marks. I got a 7 once! Yeah, yeah, so did El-, oops, you know, Ancient Orange. So did I. It’s not so difficult, if you try hard enough. It’s hard work, though, round and round and round. There’s no end to it, sometimes. I think we’re going to another one soon, I heard her say it. I’m looking forward to seeing all the mares again. I hope that lovely Rispa is there. She likes me, I’m sure. Mares! They’re trouble. Look Erró has calmed down a bit now, I think he’s dozing. Let’s have a bit of peace and quiet before our night time feed. Helgi, turn your ears round. If the wind changes direction you’ll look like that for ever. (giggles) I think it already has. Only joking, Helgi. Look, I´m asleep now (snores loudly), night night. Sweet dreams, Erró. 79