The 2012 editions of the Rules and Judges’ Guidelines for Gæðingakeppni have been published by our Icelandic member association LH. Gæðingakeppni is a century old tradition in Iceland to evaluate the quality and riding abilities of the Icelandic horse. It differs from breeding shows and sport competitions.
The fundament of the Gæðingakeppni is the power, energy and the charisma of the horse. The competition has evolved during the years and has become quite accessible for everybody, different age of riders and all kind of horses. The goal of the Gæðinga competition is to find the best horse, the horse Icelanders call a “Gæðingur”. That is a kind of horse that is a joy to ride and a pleasure to watch. The most important factor when judging a “Gæðingakeppni” is the willingness/spirit of the horse, including its character.
As of 2012 straight tracks are allowed at locations where no proper 300 m oval track or 250 m P-track is available. This makes gæðingakeppni also possible on standard breeding / pace tracks.
The rules are valid for all gæðingakeppni competitions, inside and outside Iceland.