New team with experienced riders
The Champions League starts the 30th of January 2020. Eight teams and 40 riders will compete for the title.
The first team we introduce is team Hjarðartún. This is the first year that Hjarðartún is participating but it is a breeding farm located in the south of Iceland near Hvolsvöllur. All the riders have participated in the league before. Helga Una Björnsdóttir is the team leader but other riders are Elvar Þormarsson, Hans Þór Hilmarsson, Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson and Þórarinn Ragnarsson.
Helga Una Björnsdóttir, team leader, graduated from the Hólar University in 2018. She has gotten good results both at the competition and the breeding track. Helga Una set a world record when she showed Sending frá Þorlákshöfn in 2015 but Sending got 8,64 in total score, which is the highest score a four gaiter has gotten in a breeding show. Helga Una is also the Icelandic champion in 100m. pace race on Besti frá Upphafi.
Elvar Þormarsson works at Hvolsvöllur and breeds horses at Strandarhjáleiga in the south of Iceland. Elvar has gotten good results both at the breeding and competition track.
Hans Þór Hilmarsson graduated as a riding instructor and trainer from Hólaskóli. He trains horses at Hjarðartún near Hvolsvöllur. Hans has gotten great results at both the breeding- and competition track. He was in fourth place in A class gæðingar at Landsmót 2012 riding Lotta frá Hellu, he and Hera frá Þóroddsstöðum had the best time in 100m. pace in Iceland in 2015 and he was in A finals in five gait at the Icelandic championship in 2016 riding Lukku-Láki frá Stóra-Vatnsskarði.
Jakob Svavar Sigurðsson graduated as a riding instructor and trainer from Hólar. He recently moved to Fákshólar where he is training horses. He was an Icelandic champion in T2 in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and also in five gait in 2012 and 2013 riding Alur frá Lundum. He was also an Icelandic champion in four gait in 2013 riding Eldur frá Köldukinn. Jakob won the B class at Landsmót 2016 riding Nökkvi frá Syðra-Skörðugili and placed third in the A class riding Skýr frá Skálakot. He was the sport rider of the year in 2012, 2013 and 2018 and gæðinga rider of the year in 2016.
Þórarinn Ragnarsson graduated as a riding instructor and trainer from the University at Hólar. Þórarinn works at Vesturkot and has gotten good results both in breeding shows and competitions. He won the A class gæðingar at Landsmót 2014 riding Spuni frá Vesturkoti and was in the A finals in tölt at the same Landsmót riding Þytur frá Efsta-Dal II. Þytur and Þórarinn also won the ice tölt “Þeir allra sterkustu” in 2014. Þórarinn was selected as the gæðingarider of the year in 2014.
