History

Here we bring some parts of an article written by Tone Kolnes for a book about the different breeds and their associations in Norway. The book will be published by Norsk hestesenter ("The Norwegian Horse Senter", an umbrella organisation for all Norwegian horse assisiations.)

The story of Icelandic horses in Norway

In the beginning of the nineteen sixties a “new” breed was introduced into the Norwegian horse world. (Then looking away from some sporadic and not registrated import in the beginning of the last century.) The import of the two mares Skjóna and Trinsa were the beginning of an fantastic history which became the Norwegian Icelandic Horse Association with several thousands of members and many, many thousands of pure bred, registrated Icelandic horses in Norway.

This article is only a very shortened story of the Icelandic horse in Norway in the past 50 years.

The first imports
When Ingebjørg Helkås (Vaa) came back to Norway from working in Iceland, she brought two mares. After arriving Stavanger by boat, she rode 14 days, over the mountains, to her home in Telemark, not far from Seljord. This was the beginning to, first of all her own, still active horse breeding, but also he beginning of a co operation with others in Norway with interest for the Icelandic horse.
After some time more horses were imported, first from Denmark, but in 1968 and -69 both Andreas mauseth and Rolv Inge Reinertsen imported horses from Iceland. From 1971 the claim of quarantine was removed for horses from Iceland. Persons who wanted to import, often those who had picked their “dream horse” in Iceland, but also professional horse dealers, had for many years to apply to the agricultural ministry for an import licence, but the appliance was seldom turned down. After the European economical agreement a rather big custom fee was put on all horse import, but a special agricultural agreement between Iceland and Norway removed this fee for 200 Icelandic horses per year. The ministry is dividing these 200 “free” horses to those applying.
The import of horses from Iceland has decreased a lot and some years much more than 200 horses have been imported from Iceland, first of all riding horses for sale, but also a lot of quality breeding horses.

Breeding in Norway
More pure bred stallions, born in Denmark or in Iceland were used in the first years, some of those were never brought to any evaluation. The rrgisterno.1 in the Norwegian stud book, Teitur frá Reykjum, came to Norway in 1963 and at least 8 offsprings were registered after him. Then the Icelandic breed was approved on official breeding shows and oin Søve in Telemark, Glóblesi frá Þoreyjarnúpi was approved in 1971 and had the stud book no. 1.
Since those first years, with pure breeding as the highest aim, the breeding goal and the rules have changed a lot, and today there are high claims to approve an Icelandic stallion for breeding in Norway. The Norwegian approving system was totally based on the Icelandic system and for many years, well educated judges from Iceland was used. With good help from Iceland, orway also had its own judges, and Gertrud Röhne, Ingebjørg Helkås and Reidar Johnson were the first national Norwegian judges.
Today, the Norwegian breeding evaluation system is totally identical to the international FEIF system and the official shows are international and handled by an international approved judge group.
Breeding Icelandic horses in Norway today is comprehensive in numbers and of high quality. From 1970 many excellent breeding horses were imported, firs of all stallions. Many breeders were careful in choosing the right stallions to their mares. The real progress came later with the growing interest for import of really good quality mares. Many breeding horses bred in Norway are today highly ranged in the international BLUP evaluation system. Many of Europe’s best competition horses are bred in Norway.

Around 150 horses, 4 years or older, are brought to official breeding shows in Norway every year and about the same number are brought to evaluation shows for you horses. The interest for showing horses are growing and the competence with Norwegian breeders seems to be high. Highly evaluated stallions from other countries are rented to serve mares in Norway and many breeders brings their mares to stallions abroad to get the best mix.
Between 250 and 300 foals are registered every year in the Norwegian/international stud book.

The Norwegian Icelandic Horse Association
In 1970 the Norwegian Icelandic Horse Association (NIHF) was established with Gertrud Röhne as the first president.
From a small group of enthusiastic members the association is today grown to one of the biggest horse breed associations in Norway. The first years the membership was individual, but from 1985 the organisation has been formed by local clubs. NIHF is today a cooperation of 36 local clubs, spread over the entire country. Delegates from the clubs, according to their number of members, can vote at the yearly delegates assembly. The board members and members of 5 important committees are all elected at the DA.
The Norwegian association has its own magazine, Islandshest Forum, with 5 edition per year. One of these editions has breeding as a main theme.
The board coordinate the cooperation between the local clubs and has the overall responsibility for the Norwegian Championships and the official breeding shows.
The committees for sport, breeding, education, judges and general sport are responsible for or coordinates courses, seminars and meetings throughout the year.
NIHF educate riding instructors and sport judges on the national level. In cooperation with the international association, FEIF, international judges for both sport and breeding are educated and certified.
The training camps, riding courses and riding tours arranged by the local clubs are impossible to mention in numbers and these activities are the most important basis for a national association in growth and prosperity.

“Pinsestevnet”
Once a year during the 3 days around Whitsunday, hundreds of Icelandic horses and their owners from the whole country are gathered at a gigantic event, “Pinsestevnet”. His event has been arranged without break for nearly 40 years and with a few exceptions, the “Pinsestevnet” has been at Dyrskuplassen in Seljord. In the beginning the event was aimed for riding education followed by many years with a combination between courses and competitions. Today most education is taken care of the local clubs and “Pinsestevnet” is a major event for competition on all levels. You have to be early with your entering to have a chance to be accepted on the starting lists here. It is he biggest event for Icelandic horses in Norway and all the work to carry this through is done non-paid by members of the clubs. Few or none are leaving the “Pinsestevnet” without making new friends.

International cooperation
The international association FEIF, was established in 1969 and Norway has been a member since 1972. FEIF, which today organise all active national associations in Europe, Canada, the USA and New Zealand, 19 countries together, coordinate all work connected to breeding, sport, education and youth work. FEIF is responsible for the certification of international judges for both breeding and sport and is also taking care of their education on the highest level. FEIF is every second year responsible for the World Championships (before 1991, the European Championships) for Icelandic horses, hosted by the member countries upon application. Norway has participated with a national team since 1975 and has hosted EC/WC twice; in Larvik in 1981 and in Seljord in 1997.
The international cooperation is also active within the Nordic countries. The Nordic Championships are arranged every second year, alternating with the WC and the countries Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland are hosting the event by turn. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are participating but never hosting because of their quarantine rules.
Representants from the Norwegian association have through the last 30 years had many outstanding positions in the international cooperation, with members in the technical committees and the board of FEIF.

Sport achievements by Norwegian riders
As mentioned above, Norwegian contestants have participated actively since many years. 4 riders, Mette Johnson, Kari and Roald Nilsen and Per Kolnes went on their own costs, all the way to Semriach in Austria. In 1975, no one came home with medals, but in later international championships our riders have participated in many finals and brought home medals in all values. The first Norwegian medal was brought home in 1979 by Heidi Nilsen with bronze medal in Cross Country. Two years later, on “home field”, Unn Kroghen won two silver medals, in 4-gait and Tölt, and Niels Sonne Andersen was the winner of Cross Country.
It took many years with many good results before the Norwegian team went all the way to the top, with Stian Pedersen and Jarl frá Miðkriki, grabbing gold in the combination in 2005 and gold in both 4-gait and Tölt in 2007.
It is today an enormous interest for competition riding in Norway and when the national team is arriving an event today, it is a team consisting of well prepared horses, skilled riders and enthusiastic leaders.

The leisure horse
A lot is now said about highly evaluated breeding horses and competition horses reaching the highest rankings, but as valuable is the Icelandic horse in its role as tour companion and family horse. Most of the around 6000 Icelandic horses in Norway comes under this category. The family horse is known by its good ground gaits, a pleasant tölt, and its nice temperament. The really good family horse goes willingly forward with the adult rider and is the next time carefully carrying the family’s youngest. The really good tour horses are known by a good will and a pleasant tölt but also showing braveness, endurance and strength.
Many Icelandic horses has a role which combine all these qualities and are used in all the mentioned areas and the good leisure horse can also do well in competitions and get nice offspring. Hundreds of “Icelandic horse families” in Norway have started with one horse and ended up with many, maybe one for each family member. Many sons and daughters of these families are today among our most successful breeders of competition riders.

The Icelandic horse in business
Some of the many Icelandic horses in Norway are actually earning their food by working in a company offering tour riding, in riding schools and as a riding horse for the disabled. The horse business is growing and the versatile and nice tempered Icelandic horse has shown to be a good teacher for the beginners on the riding track or a perfect companion carrying the tourists over the mountains on days- or week trips.
Last but not least, many an Icelandic horse with its small size, tölt and calm temperament is steadily engaged to work with physical or psychical disabled, it is the perfect therapeutic horse.

Why was the “Icelandic” chosen?
A summery of the skills of the Icelandic horse can be:
an incredible willingness to serve the rider, two extra gaits which are challenging and amusing to ride; the elegant tölt in many different tempi or the flying pace, good temperament, is easy to handle, is “intelligent” brave and strong, content with little food, strong compared to its small size and with its thick winter fur, it can stand much cold and wind without suffering. The Icelandic horse lives long and can be a fully good riding or breeding horse till far more than 20 years old.
The Norwegian Icelandic Horse Association with its local clubs can offer a good club and competition milieu and a variety of education with possibilities for development in many areas.
Because of all this and in spite of the small size and often high price, is the Icelandic horse the natural, first choice for so many of us.