In the last century, the Agricultural School of Hvanneyri was the largest and most well-renowned agricultural school in Iceland. It attracted students from all over the country. For many students, the highlight of the year was the competition in breaking in and training young horses which took place in spring. This competition is called “Skeifukeppni”. The day of Skeifukeppni on which the various prizes are awarded is a true funfair for students of all levels.
The prizes include awards from the Trainers Association (FT) and the popular Morgunblaðsskeifan, the latter going to the student who receives the highest average score in the practical riding examination. The Morgunblaðsskeifan has been awarded annually since 1957 and it is considered a great honour to receive the “Shoe”. Some of its recipients later became known as the most talented riders of the country.
For the winners, this prize opened many doors in the field of professional horsemanship. They would be entrusted with the better horses and were given the task to train them. These were the horses the owners had great hopes for and that were expected to do well in future competitions.
This spring (21st April 2016), the school’s riding club “Grani” turned 60 years old. In order to celebrate this anniversary, all previous winners, i.e. the winners of the past 59 years, were invited once more.
The picture shows the winners that attended the celebration, from oldest to the left to most recent on the right. If you look closely, you might be able to identify two of Eldhestar’s founders. Hróðmar won the competition in 1979 and his brother Sigurjón won two years later in 1981.