Every year, outstanding Icelandic breeding horses, distinguished by the global success of their offspring, are honoured by the national FEIF member association in the horses’ residing country.
Only very few breeding horses meet the minimum requirements for the international offspring awards. The horses qualify for the offspring awards based on the BLUP value for the total score calculated either with or without consideration of pace. Additionally, the number of assessed offspring of the specific horse plays a major role. When determining the rankings within awarding groups, the average total score of their offspring is used. Only living horses are eligible for these prestigious awards. Already in 1947, the first horse to receive the honour prize for offspring was Skuggi frá Bjarnanesi. Since then, numerous breeding horses have received this honour, which has had a great influence on the breeding development of the Icelandic horse, as such awards contribute significantly to the spread of the award-winning horses.
Picture: The certificate of honour for Skuggi frá Bjarnanesi, the first horse to receive honour prize for offspring in 1947.