Always the same routine

Next up is tölt T2 in the Champions League but the competition is next thursday at 19:00 o'clock GMT. No one has been an Icelandic champion in T2 more often than Reynir Örn Pálmason, so we decided to get in touch and see how the preparation is going.

Reynir Örn is in team Ganghestar/Margrétarhof but their last practice will be tomorrow. "We haven't decided which horses will compete in the T2 but I'm optimistic for this test. It will be difficult to choose which horses will compete but we have many promising to choose from," says Reynir but among those horses are Brimnir frá Efri-Fitjum and Skorri frá Dalvík. Brimnir is a really promising five gaiter, sire is Hnokki frá Fellskoti and the honorary prize mare Ballerína frá Grafarkoti

Reynir has been Icelandic champion five times in tölt T2, twice riding Grefi frá Holtsmúla and three times riding Baldvin frá Stangarholti. But what is it that makes a horse good in loose rein tölt? “The most important thing is that they have a really good tölt and also that he has a great spirit. It’s not good if they have a lot of tension are tend to become nervous, just that they are rather calm and easy going,” says Reynir. Reynir trains his T2 competition horses just like any other horses except for that he trains the loose rein part a lot. “I ride them a lot on loose reins and teach them my routine. I always do the same things when I slow down to walk, turn around and start on loose rein tölt,” say Reynir but the horse learns this routine.

Reynir was on the Icelandic national team at last World Championship where he became world champion in compained five gait tests and got silver in five gait and T2 riding Greifi. Reynir will be on the national team again this WC but he at the moment he is planning on riding Laxnes frá Lambanesi.

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