2018 marks the centennial year of Iceland's independence. On December 1st, 1918, Iceland became an independent and sovereign state when the Union Treaty with Denmark came into effect, which had been in progress for nearly a century.
Besides that the Danish Icelandic horse association is celebrating their 50th birthday, as a union in Denmark.
Throughout the whole year, there’s been different events in Denmark, where there’s been a look back of all that have happened with Icelandic horses in Denmark, since they first sat their hooves on Danish ground.
All these events are building up for the ‘Grande Finale’, which will be held the 21st of October in Copenhagen.
This event is called ‘Icelandic horses in Copenhagen’ (Islandske heste i byen) and is a cooperation between The Danish Icelandic Horse Association, The Icelandic Embassy in Denmark, The Danish Icelandic Society (Dansk Islandsk Samfund), Horses of Iceland and Nordatlantens Brygge, and is a celebrating of both Iceland’s independence, and the birthday of the Danish Icelandic Horse association.
The event will be opened by a parade with Icelandic horses, starting at Christianborg Castle riding track, going 6km’s through the streets of Copenhagen and will end up outside The Icelandic Embassy at Nordatlantens Brygge. In front, the president of the Danish Icelandic horse association Mie Trolle, and the Icelandic Minister of the Nordic Cooperation, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, will lead the parade.
Grani and I will also take part in this parade, being one out of two riders in the lead, riding with red jackets, being the representatives of Denmark.
At the arrival at Nordatlantens Brygge will there, among others, be a welcoming by the Danish Minister of the Nordic cooperation.
After this, it will be possible to take part in the many activities arranged, to celebrate the Icelandic culture.
Icelandic choirs, Icelandic Deli, stalls with different things to buy, exhibitions, comprehensive drop-in lecture series about the importance of the horse as breed in the home country, it’s special characteristics, propagation and use in Denmark and it’s historical significance, will all be things possible to experience, at this exciting event in Copenhagen.
Besides that, The Danish Icelandic horse association has been working on a book, that will have it’s release, at this event. A fun and exciting coffee table book, with pictures and stories from when it all startet and till the associations development to where we are now.
As one of the few ‘grand-kids’ in this association, this book is pretty special to me, and together with Frederikke Stougaard and Christian Sørensen, we got the possibility to write a whole chapter, about how we have experienced the development of the Icelandic horses in Denmark, among other thoughts and memories.
A full and detailed program will soon be possible to find on
www.50aar.islandshest.dk
www.fullveldi1918.is
