Plans to have a go at the best – interview with the national team rider Hekla Katharina

They have made a good impression as one of the strongest competition team at the sports arena for the past year and are among other things the current Icelandic….

champions in the class of young adults both in tölt and four gaits. It can therefore be said that on behalf of theIcelandic team is proud to announce Hekla Katharína Kristinsdóttir andGautrekur frá Torfastöðum as our representatives competing in the young adults’ class at the WC in Austria.

Eiðfaxi called Hekla Katharina in order to check on the preparation work she is doing for this huge upcoming assignment. Hekla was busy herding sheep but took a few minutes to answer our questions, obviously a versatile person.

THe final competitionHekla Katharina and Gautrekur will attend here in Iceland was their participation in the class of young adults at Landsmót where they ended in 6th place and her sister Rakel Nathalie was the winner. „For me and Gautrekur, this was a great achievement because Gautrekur is a natural sports competition horse and I knew that we would not be amongst the top seats in the gæðinga competition. But we were not far behind and i was very pleased with the result“ she said.

When asked for a description of Gautrekur, Hekla says that he is a fantastic horse. „He always gives 100% and is quite a hotshot I think. When we met, he was well prepared but had been exchanged between people and I think that it was very good for him to have one permanent trainer who could stick with him. Gautrekur has a strong temperament and often I need to negotiate with him in order to keep him on my side. But in the end he never lets me down. He has for example never let me down in finals“ she says but at the same time says out loud „7-9-13“ just to be on the safe side.

At this time Gautrekur is being prep-trained after having had a short time off. „He got a week off after Landsmót, he has worked hard this winter and spring. He served two mares, enjoyed himself and relaxed a little. I did not want to send him away, just kept him here at home, but then I have been doing some herding with him but after that we
will continue with a systematic training. On the other hand I am hoping that I gave him enough training this winter, he should be ready for what lies ahead“ says Hekla Katharina and she has been under the good guidance of Anton Páll Níelsson in addition to her parents and the national team manager, who all are keeping taps on the preparation work.

Hekla Katharina is aiming high and hopefully they will compete both in the tölt- and four gaits competition. „I have put my personal goals wait. Of course I want to have a go at this along with the other best young adults and I am very focused, she says and adds that now when other national teams are being introduced, and she has started to check out the contenders.

Gautrekur will travel to Austria on July 24th and therefore Hekla Katharina will not bring him to the Íslandsmót tournament. Although, she has registered into the competition tournament with a new star of hope.

„Although my main emphasis these days is training for the WC, I will bring with me a young stallion called Hringur frá Skarði to the five gaits. I presented Hringur at the horse breeding show this spring and then again at Landsmót. On the other hand this will be his first sports competition so it will be interesting to see how we will do“ she says at the same time as she shouts out to some sheep.

Although Hekla Katharina is obviously excited about the WC competition, she says that she cannot think about having to say goodbye to Gautrekur at the end of the tournament. „Saying goodbye will be very difficult and I feel awful thinking about that. But at
some point our trail together will come to an end and it is great to have the conclusion at the WC. Hopefully something good happens for both of us in the near future“ says the versatile national team rider, finally.