Young rider of the year 2020

Ragnhildur and Vákur frá Vatnsenda. Photo: Louisa Hackl

Sport rider of the year 2020

Ragnhildur Haraldsdóttir

Ragnhildur Haraldsdóttir is the Sport rider of the year. She did very well on the track, taking part in the strongest tournaments last summer. Among her achievements are a win at the Reykjavík Championship in V1 fourgait, riding Vákur frá Vatnsenda. Their total score in the A-finals was 8.03. At the same event she took part in the A-finals in tölt T1 and was awarded with the Golden feather from the Icelandic trainer’s association. She also made the A-finals in fourgait at the Sleipnir tournament and in tölt at the Sprettur Open. She won the Open gædingatournament in Flúðir and ended in first place on the Icelandic ranking list in V1 and has two horses on the top 20 list in T1. “To be awarded as the sport rider of the year is a

great honour and a bit unreal at the same time. Looking back, the win riding Vákur at the Reykjavík Championship was my favourite moment. It’s a bit sad that the Icelandic Championship was not held, since my plan was to top there,” says Ragnhildur and this was her first nomination for a riders award in Iceland. Ragnhildur had mainly two horses in competition last summer, Vákur frá Vatnsenda and Úlfur frá Mosfellsbæ. Can you tell us about Vákur? “In my mind Vákur is a very special horse, a fourgaiter with great and even gaits, always ready to give everything he’s got. I had Vákur when working for Hafliði Halldórsson at Ármót. Vákur was then turning four years old and from the start I knew he would be a great fourgaiter in the future. He has this great character and gaits and the charm and form under rider that is essential to get the best results. I showed him in a breeding assessment in the spring of 2014 and at the Landsmót in Hella that year. He came back to me in February 2019. Then he had not been in any training for over a year. Since then, we have been growing together.” Ragnhildur has also gotten great result riding Úlfur “Úlfur comes out of my own breeding and therefor very special to me. He is a very sweet character with extreme movements and good gaits. He is growing now with his increased strength and he is a fun project and friend.” Success like this one has to come with ambition, hard work and talent. But to what does Ragnhildur owe the results?

Ragnhildur and Úlfur frá Mosfellsbæ.

“There are so many that have helped my along the way. I want to thank my riding instructor Julio Borba, his part is huge in my success. I have taken lessons with him since 2013 and I never miss an opportunity to do so when he is in Iceland. I have taken lessons with more instructors and if you are determined to achieve something, you have to take lessons on a regular basis and learn from the more experienced at each time. I want to thank Hafliði for bringing me Vákur, and my family and friends that have supported me in any way, like Helgi Þór and Rúna Tómasdóttir my lucky charm and Guðni Gunnarsson who has helped my with my mental training.” What are your goals for 2021? “My goal is to do my best with my horses and keep taking lesson to gain more knowledge and understanding to be able to build and train them right. It is not a secret that I aim for the World Championship in Herning with Vákur, but for that to happen I have to keep my focus because there are so many great riders and horses with that same goal,” says the Sport rider of 2020, Ragnhildur Haraldsdóttir.

Nominated for Sport rider of the year 2020 Aðalheiður Anna Guðjónsdóttir, Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson, Ragnhildur Haraldsdóttir, Teitur Árnason,Viðar Ingólfsson