Sport rider of the year 2020

Icelandic Ranking Lists in pace 2020

# Rider Horse Time Event

1 Konráð Valur Sveinsson IS2006186758 Kjarkur frá Árbæjarhjáleigu II 7,32 Opið síðsumarsmót Spretts 2 Sigursteinn Sumarliðason IS2008187654 Krókus frá Dalbæ 7,37 Lokamót Meistaradeild 3 Jóhann Magnússon IS2011255571 Fröken frá Bessastöðum 7,44 Lokamót Meistaradeild 4 Ingibergur Árnason IS2009286105 Sólveig frá Kirkjubæ 7,49 Gæðingaveisla Sörla (WR) 5 Sæmundur Þ. Sæmundsson IS2007157339 Seyður frá Gýgjarhóli 7,51 Opna Gæðingamótið á Flúðum 6 Árni Björn Pálsson IS2011182375 Óliver frá Hólaborg 7,51 Meistaramót Íslands 7 Viðar Ingólfsson IS2010186505 Ópall frá Miðási 7,53 Meistaramót Íslands 8 Sigurbjörn Bárðarson IS2008157895 Vökull frá Tunguhálsi II 7,55 Reykjavíkurmeistaramót 9 Konráð Valur Sveinsson IS2011201056 Dama frá Hekluflötum 7,56 Reykjavíkurmeistaramót 10 Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson IS2011187880 Jarl frá Kílhrauni 7,57 Meistaramót Íslands

# Rider Horse Time Event

1 Sigurbjörn Bárðarson

IS2008157895 Vökull frá Tunguhálsi II 14,06 Metamót 2020 2 Árni Björn Pálsson IS2010177100 Seiður frá Hlíðarbergi 14,11 Metamót 2020 3 Konráð Valur Sveinsson IS2006186758 Kjarkur frá Árbæjarhjáleigu II 14,17 Skeiðmót Meistaradeildar 4 Gústaf Ásgeir Hinriksson IS2013155474 Sjóður frá Þóreyjarnúpi 14,19 Metamót 2020 5 Sigurður Vignir Matthíasson IS2000156686 Léttir frá Eiríksstöðum 14,22 Reykjavíkurmeistaramót 6 Daníel Gunnarsson IS2010235062 Eining frá Einhamri 2 14,4 Skeiðleikar 5 7 Ingibergur Árnason IS2006181752 Flótti frá Meiri-Tungu 1 14,42 Metamót 2020 8 Glódís Rún Sigurðardóttir IS2006288809 Blikka frá Þóroddsstöðum 14,49 Metamót 2020 9 Eyrún Ýr Pálsdóttir IS2010255503 Sigurrós frá Gauksmýri 14,52 Metamót 2020 10 Hans Þór Hilmarsson IS2008257650 Vorsól frá Stóra-Vatnsskarði 14,54 Reykjavíkurmeistaramót

# Rider Horse Time Event

1 Sigursteinn Sumarliðason IS2008187654 Krókus frá Dalbæ

21,23 Metamót 2020 2 Sigurbjörn Bárðarson IS2008157895 Vökull frá Tunguhálsi II 21,36 Metamót 2020 3 Konráð Valur Sveinsson IS2006186758 Kjarkur frá Árbæjarhjáleigu II 21,57 Skeiðleikar 1 4 Daníel Gunnarsson IS2010235062 Eining frá Einhamri 2 21,75 Reykjavíkurmeistaramót 5 Gústaf Ásgeir Hinriksson IS2010266201 Rangá frá Torfunesi 22,02 Metamót 2020 6 Finnur Jóhannesson IS2006257301 Tinna Svört frá Glæsibæ 22,07 Skeiðleikar 3 7 Sæmundur Þ.Sæmundsson IS2007157339 Seyður frá Gýgjarhóli 22,25 Metamót 2020 8 Jóhann Magnússon IS2011255571 Fröken frá Bessastöðum 22,3 Metamót 2020 9 Árni Björn Pálsson IS2010177100 Seiður frá Hlíðarbergi 22,82 Skeiðleikar 5 10 Ingibergur Árnason IS2009286105 Sólveig frá Kirkjubæ 22,9 Metamót 2020

Árni Björn riding Fenrir frá Feti. Photo: Jón Björnsson

Breeding rider of the year 2020

Árni Björn Pálsson

Árni Björn Pálsson is the Breeding rider of the year, third year in a row. “I will not deny it, it is always nice to get a pad on the shoulder when things go well. I am a professional rider and a train, show horses, work with breeders, owners and trainers and people who trust me for their project. So being aware breeding rider of the year is certainly a nice bonus but not necessarily a goal in itself. My work is very giving, because you meet a lot of people and horses from all over the world really, therefore you can say that I have a good perspective on the breeding world each time.” Árni Björn showed 87 breeding horses last year in 100 performances. The average age of these horses was 5,9 years, average confirmation score was 8,23 and the average ridden abilities score was 8,12. He is far from being alone in his work,

because his fiancée Sylvía Sigurbjörnsdóttir is his coworker. “The work is a cooperation between me and Sylvía. She plans everything and has an overview of every aspect of what happens outside the track. When a rider has 20-30 horses on a breeding show, it is very important to have someone holding everything together, stay in touch with owners, make sure everyone is one time and mind the warming up and so on. We emphasize on not being late, even though we have many horses. Our experience has taught us how to do it and I have her so much so thank.” Understandably, the breeding show season is quite busy for Árni, Sylvía and their staff. But is it a hard job and stressful? “It is a lot of work and long days, especially in the spring. I don’t find extra pressure or stress, I always put a lot of press on myself to try to do the very best I can. I realize that I carry a huge responsibility because people trust me for their best horses, and I want to resolve each project as well as possible. I admit that I will not be able to work in this tempo forever, but while you are young and fresh it is easy. My interest in it is so big, and that gets me pretty far on a daily basis.” What do you think about the breeding system and the new changes? “I think that many positive things are in motion and we are on the right path. Of course, there is always a question of technical implementations. The main thing in my mind is that we should focus on evaluating the abilities of each horse and not the training, since that is a factor that cannot be inherited. We should also focus on the younger horses and at the age of 5 or 6 we should have all the necessary information on the horse. We ought to make the gap between generations smaller instead of bigger. About the changes, I am not sure that it was necessary to lower the weight on confirmation. On the other hand, I find the emphasis in the confirmation sector much better than before, with the increased knowledge on what the horse has to have to be able to perform under a rider. About the act loosen rein, that should maybe have been put on the score 9,5-10, and then we can ask ourself, if we have a condition to put some weight on the slow tempo tölt.” What are your hopes for 2021? “I just hope that the world will recuperate from COVID-19 and things become as close to normal as possible, so that we can hold shows and tournaments. On this occasion, I want to send my best thanks to Þorvaldur Kristjánsson former breeding leader. He has done great work in his years for the breeding of the Icelandic horse and really put effort in the changes that have been made. I think he has brought breeders, riders and judges closer to one another and made the conversation better and more positive. At the same time I wish Elsa Albertsdóttir all the best in her work as a new breeding leader and I congratulate her on carrying on the work for us breeders.”

Nominated for Breeding rider of the year Aðalheiður Anna Guðjónsdóttir, Árni Björn Pálsson, Helga Una Björnsdóttir Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson, Ævar Örn Guðjónsson