Pace rider of the year 2020

The rider of year 2020

Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson

Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson is the rider of the year for the second time, but he also received the awards in 2017. “I can’t say that it is a goal each year to get this title and I admit that I hadn’t thought about it much in the special year 2020 was, where we couldn’t hold Landsmót or Icelandic Championships. But I look at it as a certain bonus to the things I achieved last year, and the honour to be awarded is great because there are so many great riders in Iceland,” says Jakob when asked about his goals for each competition season.

Jakob’s achievements last year were quite extensive, which shows how diverse he is as a rider. He was nominated in two categories, both as a breeding and sport rider. He showed 40 horses in 46 performances in breeding assessments. Their average age was 5,8 years, average total was 8,12, confirmation 8,34 and ridden abilities 8,00. Only 2% of the horses had any injuries after the show, which is a very low rate. Jakob took part in the biggest tournaments last year and he is among the top riders in most disciplines in the masters class. His best time last year in the 100m pace was 7,57 riding Jarl frá Kílhrauni. “Great results demand good work, and we work well together her at Fákshólar and we have great facilities and people, and then of course the horses are excellent.” Is it complicated to have so many things going on instead of focusing on fewer things? “It’s really all based on the same foundation, general training and the development of horses, and then you have to find them a role that fits, breeding, racing, sport or gæðingakeppni. Training is almost always the same before you set a special goal with each horse.” What do you think of the changes on the breeding assessment system? “I have been rather positive toward these changes and I find that they are built on the condition of taking us in the right direction in the breeding and choosing for breeding, horses that are in a marketing sense suitable and enjoyable to have. Some kind of implementations can be further discussed, like loosen the reins, which I think we could reconsider, at least partly. The idea behind it is good and the fact that the judges, riders and breeders think about the self-carrying horse. There may come a time when we can take it out again. Before horses got away with running through the assessment, but I find that the changes prevent that now.” In the sport section, Jakob reached great results, especially riding two horses, Hálfmáni frá Steinsholti and Konsert frá Hofi. He also competed on Ernir frá Efri-Hrepp in PP1 and got an 8,08 and took part in T2 riding Vallarsól frá Völlum. “Hálfmáni is a great gæðingur from my own breeding, and I aim for the national team and the WC in Denmark with him,” says Jakob asked for his goals with Hálfmáni this year. Konsert has now left the country, wasn’t it hard to see him go? „Yes, I miss him, he was a unique horse that sometimes tested his trainer, but also taught me a lot. He gave me great and memorable moments and is one of the best I have trained.” What do you think about the status in the sport competition? “The diversity in riders is excellent and that really pushes us forward. I know that many of our judges are great and surely doing their best, but sometimes I wonder if they can follow up on the rapid development that is going on when it comes to the art of riding. It may be unfair to expect them to spend enormous amount of time to increase their knowledge since judging is their second job. I think that side can be reinforced and I want to say, that many of them are extremely good and are really keeping up with everything that is going on.”