„Easy going but very competitive“

Hulda Finnsdóttir hulda@eidfaxi.is

Translations: Berglind Margo and Signý Sól Snorradóttir are known by most people following competitions in Iceland. The siblings have all become successful riders and have in common the facts that they started riding very young on the pommel of their parents’ saddle, walked between stables with their saddle on the back to tame horses and are now all part of the national team group. A journalist sat down with them at Árbakki where Jóhanna Margrét works and discussed with them to find out the recipe to successful riders.

The siblings all inherited the horse bacteria from their parents Snorri Ólason and Hrönn Ásmundsdóttir. They grew up in Keflavík and were all young when they started riding with their parents in the riding club Máni. Ásmundur or Ási as he is often called is the oldest and born 1992. Three years separate him from Jóhanna Margrét (born 1995), most often called Hanna Magga and twelve years separate him from Signý (born 2004).

“Mom and dad were both into horses but when I started riding, mom was spending time at home with little Hanna Magga so she was much less in the stables.

I do not remember her being there until Hanna Magga started riding” says Ásmundur. He soon started to walk between stables with his father who has always been taming horses in the area. “Yes, I was not old when I started stumbling around with my dad with my saddle on my back. We were all doing it and Signý still is today” says Ásmundur and looks at his sisters.

It was similar for me except that mom was with us more. She used to lead me, usually on some of Ási’s horses and he was not happy about it” says Jóhanna Margrét and laughs. “I don’t remember that, the memories must have been stronger for her” says Ási sarcastically.

The sibling all started to compete early, their parents were good at finding them horses so they started early as in toddlers class. “I remember the first time I competed in toddlers class, I was maybe 7 years old, and we were all placed in different seats. When they read the results and my name came last I got very angry because I thought I had lost. Mom and dad corrected that and I was a little happier with having won” says Ásmundur, his competitiveness came to light early.

Djákni frá Feti was Ásmundur and Jóhanna Margrét’s first competition horse. At 11 years old, Ásmundur started training Djákni who was then 5 years old. In 2004, he competed with him at Landsmót in children’s class and ended up in third position. At Landsmót 2006, Hanna Magga competed on him and also ended in third place. Even though the siblings had to share horses, it was never an arguing point to decide who got which horse.

I was not old when I started stumbling around with my dad with my saddle on my back

Signý Sól and Strengur frá Arnarhól

“It was all rather clear. There were never any problems with this. Maybe I was a little upset but I just don’t remember that. I started with one horse, then got a new one and Hanna Magga then got the old one. Mom and dad didn’t necessarily have the means to buy very good horses that were ready for us. For example, Djákni was bought rather raw, young, and cheap. It was up to us to get things out of him” says Ásmundur; After Djákni, he got to work with the mare Djásn frá Hlemmiskeiði which became his competition horse and Djákni went to Hanna Magga.

“Dad and I were training in the club’s riding hall, Sigurður Ragnarsson was also there and very angry with the mare and wanted to get rid of her. Dad buys her from him on the spot and the decision was made that I would take this mare, Djásn, and make her my new competition horse and Hanna Magga would get Djákni” says Ásmundur and Hanna Magga adds “yes, we were rather easy going with this. Maybe there was a little annoyance when Djásn changed riders”

Djásn and Ási did well on the competition track and were always in A finals in tölt and four-gait at the Icelandic Championships and in A finals at Landsmót 2008. After the 2008 summer, Ásmundur had gotten enough of horses and wanted to start doing something else. He had been helping his father taming every day after school and on all weekends and wanted to try something new.

“At that time, I was full on into boxing and going to the gym and told our parents that I was quitting and went to work at a cash register in Samkaup (a local shop). I think I quit horse riding for 2 months when I could not work at a cash register anymore and wanted to go back to riding. Mom and Dad then told me that Hanna Magga now had Djásn since I had quit. I was not happy about that,” says Ásmundur but Hanna Magga corrects him; “they told you before you quit that if you did then I would get Djásn. They just stood firm on their decision and I had Djásn. I remember that I celebrated a little bit the fact that he had quit and I now had the mare.”

Ásmundur was not without a horse for a long time though as a beautiful red horse with whom Ásmundur would do well on the competition track was in the stable. “I had to start over again and make the next competition horse ready. We went over what was in the stable and most horses inside came from our own breeding. That’s when I started on Reyr frá Melabergi, he had a beautiful color, was very nice but that was pretty much it” he says but Reyr and Ásmundur became, in between other things, Icelandic champions in tölt in young rider’s class.

Like her siblings, Signý Sól was very young when she started riding and she remembers her first horse,

Strengur, which she thinks was not really a children’s horse. “He was very afraid of things and always putting his head down so I sometimes just rolled off on his neck” she says and her brother adds “he was actually a great children’s horse. He was incredibly nice to Signý but when an adult rode him then he was not very nice. A man came to try him for his wife once. The horse bucked him off on the curb. Typical children’s horse, super nice to the kids – otherwise not so nice.”

When Signý Sól starts riding, Ásmundur and Jóhanna Margrét had moved out of the house so they did not follow their sister much in her riding.

“I think Mom and Dad’s stable is full of Signý’s horses. We only got one box each,” says Hanna Magga and Ásmundur adds “Yes, there is a slight difference. Everything is done for Signý but we only had one box each and had to tame horses after school to be allowed to have them,” the sibling laughed heartily and added that things are maybe not exactly like that and that their sister is very hardworking and helps their parents a lot. “These are just different times”.

Ási and Hanna Magga went to work on training in other places during the summer and Hanna Magga went east of the mountains a lot until she went to Hólar in 2015 which is when she moved out of the family home indefinitely. Today, she works at Árbakki with her boyfriend, Gústaf Ásgeir Hinriksson. Ásmundur stayed a long time with Sigurður Sigurðarson at Þjóðólfshagi, then went to Efsti-Dalur and on to Skeiðvellir. Ásmundur was then training in Keflavík for two years with his wife Stella Sólveig Pálmarsdóttir before they moved to Strandahöfuð in the summer of 2014 where they still are today.

“I am just riding out at home and also training for others. I will finish high school around Christmas of 2023 and plan on going to Hólar after that” says Signý and adds that she has worked one summer for each of her sibling which was very fun.

“She has so many horses that it’s hard for her to find a place to work at because she’d like to bring so many horses with her as well” adds Hanna Magga.

What’s the recipe?

What is it that made you all decide to stick to horse riding and made you this successful?

“I don’t really know. I remember that Mom and Dad never pushed us into this. It wasn’t mandatory, riding was completely a choice we had. I always remember that. Going on horseback was always very open for us if we wanted to and we apparently all got infected with the horse bacteria” says Ásmundur and his sisters agree. They probably got what made them such successful riders from their parents who are different in a fun way.

“Dad is very much a horseman and he taught us all the basics,” says Ásmundur and Hanna Magga adds that their mother also did. “Yes, but it was different. Ok, the reason for which we’re all successful riders is maybe the mix of them. Dad is extremely calm and much of a feeling man when it comes to horses and then comes Mom with a competitive attitude and pours that over us. She was always a little…” he continues, and Hanna Magga cuts in “In it to win it. She made the competitiveness in us”.

The mare starts running with me up to the car, stops in front of the hood where I fly off onto the windshield

They all agree that the competitiveness comes from their mother who had a special tactic to pep them up before they entered the track.

“I remember when I was warming up in children’s class. Mom always said to me: Ási, are you really going to have the mare like this. She’s not special to look at. She knew I’d get in the mood, she knew exactly what she had to say to us so we’d get the best results,” says Ási and adds that the recipe is probably this good mix of their mother and father. “He was completely calm and then Mom is on the other side crazy about competition, pushing us over the line.” Sígný Sól is starting to worry that their Mom is going to look bad in this interview but Ási comforts her by saying that this is only the truth.

All in

All three agree that their parents poured their life and soul into doing everything for them and they are very thankful to them. They sacrificed a lot for us. They bought horses who ended up beijing ours instead of theirs. Before we came to the picture they enjoyed competing. They completely put the priority on us,” says Hanna Magga and Ásmundur agrees “they were always willing to help and motivate us. I remember when I was once training Glóð frá Keflavík on Máni’s (the riding club) oval track, she was not very nice and Dad was talking to some man who was there in a car. Believe it or not, the mare starts running with me up to the car, stops in front of the hood where I fly off onto the windshield. Dad and the man just looked at me and asked if everything was ok. By then, I was really good at steering myself up in the air to find out how to land when I fell because I fell so often. Dad always came with this great sentence; You have to fall off a hundred times before you become a horseman. I took it very seriously and celebrated each time – yes number 76, it’s getting closer.”

“I remember this sentence too,” adds Hanna Magga. “Each time was celebrated to keep us motivated.

I also remember that they never differentiated between us. We were once together on the track. Ási was preparing for a competition and I was rather small and just riding along. Mom and Dad were giving him instructions in a rather decided way and then looked at me from time to time and complimented me. After a few rounds around the track, I asked them when they were going to start screaming at me like that. So dad started to scream at me too and it made me really happy.”

Snorri, their father, is an international sport judge and it has served them well and they still seek advice from him regularly.

“He can always come with the judge’s eye. Give us all kinds of advice and night and are very fascinated by the creature, its nature and character. It might therefore be interesting, just for fun, to imagine what kind of horses they would be if they were to metamorphose overnight. regarding speed and various finishing touches, rules and more,” says Signý and Ási adds that they all really look up to him. “I send him a video of all my training sessions and get him to have a look at them,” he adds.

“I think Ási would be like Spölur frá Njarðvík. He could be very calm and easy-going but was always ready to perform, do you disagree?,” says Hanna Magga and looks at her brother. “No, no, If I had to describe myself as a horse I would say calm with a great character but very powerful,” he adds and they burst out laughing.

Hanna Magga says that sometimes there can be disagreements about the marks he gives, that the siblings can be demanding and do not always agree when they feel he is giving them a too low mark. “He never gives in. He stands his ground, and then you’ll hear: I’ll hear from you later, and he hangs up,” she adds and they all start laughing.

If we were horses?

The siblings are around horses day

“No, let’s see, if I had to describe us then we are actually very similar. We are all calm, we got that from Dad, and all a little shy although it has gotten better with age for us two but Signý is still dealing with that,” hes says and laughs before adding; “It would be a very similar horse that would come out of us three. Calm most of the time with strong competitiveness and extremely stubborn. When I analyze us I realize how really alike we are,” he continues. “You would be a horse that could throw someone off all of a sudden though” shoots Signý cheerfully and means her brother, “Hanna Magga would be sweeter”.

Helpful siblings

Having grown up in a stable together, Ásmundur and Jóhanna Margrét have always helped each other a lot. “Today we do not train together but we do discuss things and think about things together,” says Hanna Magga and Signý add “they have helped me a lot with my main competition horses. I have tried to go to other riding instructors but they suit me best. When I had Þokkadís frá Strandarhöfði, Ási and Stella were helping me a lot with her and are the reason why I had her. Then I competed on Kolbeinn frá Horni from Hanna Magga and Gústi and she has helped me with him since.”

Signý Sol became triple Icelandic Champion in teenage class in 2022 on the following three horses: Þokkadís in tölt, Kolbeinn in fourgait and Rafn frá Melabergi in loose rein tölt. A great achievement that this young rider will remember for a long time. “Icelandic champion on three horses in three tests the same day. I think that was the best day of my life.”

The adventure with Bárður

We start to reminisce about the biggest moments in horsemanship and Hanna Magga brings up Bárður frá Melabergi as they became, among other things, Icelandic Champions and winners of Landsmót in fourgait in 2022 and triple Icelandic Champions this summer and will maybe be adding to their collection. Bárður, even though he is “from Melabergi”, is not from their parents’ breeding; it was Gunnar Auðunsson that bred the horse as he and the siblings’ parents have had good collaboration over the years.

“Mom and Dad then buy half of him when he is a young horse. Mom starts to ride him and Signý takes him from time to time with Mom. I am up North at Hólar and Signý was about to compete on him in loose rein tölt in the Youth Champions’ League. I am watching them and I really like him. I decide to call Mom after the competition and tell her jokingly that they won’t get to have him for much longer. She takes me seriously and brings him over to me in the spring of 2018 and he has never left since,” says Hanna Magga.

“Yes, but we may not forget that I taught him how to tölt,” adds Ásmundur. “I had him in training and the story around that is, looking back, annoying and sad. I was offered to buy him for a small amount of adventures as they represented Iceland at two World Championships together, in 2017 in the Netherlands riding Spölur and in 2019 in Germany riding Frægur. money. I just did not have a small amount of money to buy him. I really wanted to buy him, it’s sad, I think about it often. Why didn’t I just borrow the money somewhere and sort this out.”

Happy for each other

Yes, opportunities can often slip through one’s fingers, but the journalist asks whether it was not painful to watch him go, especially once he and Hanna Magga started doing so well. “I myself had Spölur frá Njarðvík at that time and then Frægur frá Strandarhöfði. I think it’s fantastic that Hanna Magga got him and has done what she has done with him. It’s not a given either,” he answers and it’s obvious that there is a lot of mutual support among the siblings.

Spölur and Frægur are Ási’s

“The build-up and the journeys to the World Championships with Spölur and Frægur are my favorite moments in my career even though they are only very short moments. To ride onto the track at the World Championships is a special experience that cannot be described. A whole crowd of cheering Icelanders. It’s an absolute goosebump moment. The build-up and the journeys to the World Championships with these two horses are my favorite moments. Even though I did not become World Champion, it taught me the most in my life,” he says and Hanna Magga agrees with him, but despite the fact that competing at the World Championships is a an incredible experience, the adventure with Bárður always stands out along with everything he has given her. Even though the siblings are very competitive, they are happy for each other and especially for their little sister in the Young Rider’s class.

“Yes, there we can truly rejoice,” says Hanna Magga with a sense of certainty. “No but Ási and I are happy for each other even though we compete in the same class,” and Ási adds “it has probably been fortunate that when I was with Spölur and Frægur at the highest level, Bárður was being built up and when he gets to his top, the two others are gone, and I have something else building up. So, we haven’t directly competed against each other, - yet”

Hanna Magga adds that the relationship between siblings is also a little different since Ási and her grow up together more but since Signý is quite a lot younger they feel more responsible for her. “We grew up together and are best friends. We fight and have all the traditional sibling things and then she comes a little bit later and we are more taking care of her. It’s a different bond.”

All in the national team group

All three siblings are in the national team group.

Hanna Magga and Ási in the A team and Signý in the younger team. Hanna Magga was aiming for the World Championship in Oirschot riding Bárður, Ási with Ás frá

Strandarhöfði and Signý with Kolbeinn. Hanna Magga is now in the Icelandic team and will be competing at the World Championship in Oirschot with Bárður in tölt T1 and four-gait V1.

Who is most likely not to answer the phone? Ásmundur Ernir answer both sisters at the same time.

Who is most likely not to keep a secret?

Á: Me

S: Hanna Magga

Á: What? Ok fine Hanna Magga

Who is most likely to break a world record?

All: Me

Who is most likely to eat something off the ground?

Á: Signý, that’s the first thing that comes to mind

SS: Ási, you’ve probably done it

Who is the most likely to get an ugly tattoo?

JM: Ásmundur has it

SS: Ási

Who is the most likely to win a Nobel prize?

Á: Isn’t that something for intelligent people? Not me.

SS: Hanna Magga

JM: I was the best of us in school

Who is the most likely to inadvertently poison someone with bad cooking?

Á: Definitely not me

SS: Me

Who is the most likely to cry over a movie?

JM: Signý

Who is the most likely to win the lottery?

Á: I buy the most tickets, Signý is the luckiest one of us though

Who is the most likely to negotiate something with your parents?

SS: Hanna Magga

Á: Really? Yes, maybe if we take the average.

SS: Yes, at least I was always told, if I did something negative that I was exactly like my brother and that I should be more like Hanna Magga.

Who is the most likely to run a marathon?

Á: Am I not crazy enough to take that up?

JM: Yes you are Ási.