Here are a few photos from the Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain British Championships and Summer Festival.

This time, two weeks ago, we were competing.  When I say “we”, I mean Daisy on Kappi and Bjørn on Taktur and me on photographs!

The Championship took place over two days in West Linton, just outside Edinburgh and there was an excellent, as well as vocal, turnout from Shetland to cheer the Shetland contingent on.  At one stage, there were 14 Shetland folk. I like to think that everyone will remember us and we certainly put Shetland on the Icelandic horse map (and perhaps pub/hotel map).

The weather was a bit “curate’s egg”.  For us, it was a normal summer……

For everyone else, they huddled!

Even when it hailed.

When it was fine, the spectators sat on the bank and enjoyed the riding and horsemanship.

The judges and their helpers took their job very seriously!

The commentary was professional.

For Taktur, this was a completely new experience. He has never been anywhere and he did his best to behave.  For a first timer, just 6 years old, he was amazing.  He went for the experience rather than any achievement.  Taktur and Bjorn are now ranked 7th in Sport A Four Gait in the whole of Britain!

Daisy and Kappi were brilliant (I am running out of adjectives).

She came 2nd in the Elementary Four Gait and 1st in the Elementary Tölt – she is now ranked Number 1 in Great Britain in Elementary Tölt!

So it was a great weekend.  We achieved.

Well when I say “we”, I mean Daisy on Kappi and Bjørn on Taktur and me on photographs!

We have had two consecutive nights of thunderstorms with some fairly determined lightning.  BeAnne hates it and with the first crack, she jumps onto the bed, shaking, panting and looking wild.  Nothing we do makes her better so she just stays next to me and eventually falls asleep.  It is very exhausting for us all.  We look a bit bleary eyed the next morning after her panic attacks.

Loki is coming along leaps and bounds.  He is much happier now the worry of Jack is no more.  He even almost plays with BeAnne until she ruins it.  We have him 2 years now and he is a very different dog from the one Daisy and I collected from Elgin.

Dare I say it, he is even more obedient than BeAnne (which is not particularly difficult since she is a Patterdale terrier and never comes when she is called but just happens to “be in the area”.)

It is very hot today, and the Shetland ponies hate it.  Waffle is miserable (being black, he absorbs the heat) and I commiserated with him. I hate it too.

Storm and Tiddles have sunscreen and Sudocreme on their noses.

Tiddles is changing.  His face is much narrower and he is turning into a proper pony – not a “fluffy” anymore.

So this afternoon I walked the dogs in the long grass and then sat with the Lambs for a while.  They are still very sweet and tame.  Their main aim is to be with us at all times.  The dogs are much better behaved – long may that last.

(Lambie is still my special little boy and always will be.)

A downside, though is that Lambie is rather lazy and wants to be fetched if Lambert leaves him to come and talk to us!)

As it was a beautiful sunny afternoon yesterday, we went to see Little Himself and Hetja.

I apologise in advance, as a token gesture, for the huge photo overload of our new lad but this is the first real opportunity I have had to see him properly with a halfway decent camera.

If you are not an Icelandic horse colt foal fan, perhaps skip this blog today (and possibly many others in the future).

Look, look, look at his tufty squirrel hair-do between the huge ears! I am loving the eyelashes too.

And he stands very squarely, with solid front legs and real presence.

All the time, he is looking and thinking…..

At one stage, Hetja jumped the burn (stream) to eat and Little Himself was nearer to us than she was so he used this opportunity to come and investigate us further.

Hetja, in an instant, jumped back over and rounded him up trying to get him to give up these subversive thoughts.

In the end, she went up to Daisy and generously accepted the proffered carrot (we came prepared this time).

Little Himself looked on with interest.

Once Hetja had decided that Daisy may, if she was nice, be allowed to talk, then First Contact was made.

Daisy is sensible and very good around mares.  She reads their body language and lets the mare make the moves.  She does not sit down but squats on her haunches ready to move quickly should she have to.

Look at Hetja’s eyes.  She watches everything and everyone (we had left the dogs in the car).

So that’s it.  We are all officially in love with the most darling little boy.

Now to find a suitable Icelandic name……..

(I like Huginn)

Anyone missing the Minions?

These past few weeks, they have mostly been left to their own devices, so we called them down and put them two at a time in the school to be brushed.

The first two “volunteers” were Tiddles and Storm.  Tiddles is still determinedly keeping his winter foal coat on.  It refuses to budge so we attacked him with BeAnne’s coat stripping comb and a brush that was bought to refluff sheepskin rugs!

Everyone was looking very good, fit, the right weight and happy.

It is a relief especially after this grotty winter, which took its toll on both Storm and Tiddles.

Anyway, the Minions enjoy their pampering session.  They are such sweeties and, as always, very easy to work with.

I am just waiting for a phone call from the vet à propos Tiddles’ castration. It needs to be done, the weather is nice and they are coming off!

Sorry Tiddles. It is for your own good.  Everyone else will thank me especially Storm who is fed up of being jumped on!

(Storm has a sunburned nosey so I put Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream on it – only the best for my special soldier.  He may still be a bit of a Mummy’s boy).

I was asked to go to see and photograph some of last year’s fillies from Bergli Stud.

They were enchanting, grubby, tatty, wild but beautiful.

Everyone was in a mad gallopy spring (I just can’t say it is summer yet) mood.

They happily hassled and barged each other.

At one stage one filly walked into a small pond in the field to stand up to her belly water.  We looked on in astonishment.

And then she jumped out and off they galloped again.

Anywho, I am feeling a bit grot today so I won’t rattle on but please enjoy the photos of these lovely little girls.

As usual, I fell in love and met a very special girl – Dimma.  She had the most hypnotic eyes and perfectly sculpted face.

Suddenly we looked at the time and it was way past what either of us had thought and so we had to leave.