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The Census Czar’s Story

At the last meeting of the Alaska Icelandic Horse Club, Virginia Crawford suggested that I continue to work on the already-existent Icelandic horse census. In less than a blink of an eye, I accepted the job.

This was the job for me. My interest in Icelandic horses goes back to a time before I even knew that I was interested in them. When I was a child, my mother said to me, “When you grow up, you’ll move to Alaska and raise ponies.”

I rolled my eyes because first of all, I never intended to grow up. Secondly, I couldn’t imagine living in a place that was cold and dark three-quarters of the year. And thirdly, I was into “big” horses.

My mother’s prophecy was self-fulfilling. I grew up. I moved to Alaska. And I’m (in a manner of speaking) raising ponies.

I became Icelandic-smitten in 1982, shortly after I became the Managing Editor of Alaska Farm and Garden Magazine, which was then located in Delta Junction, Alaska. When I heard that the NANA Corporation was using Icelandic Horses to herd reindeer, I begged Editor Kay Lasley to send me there. I came close. Lasley bought me a ticket, but at the last minute, cancelled the reservation because she needed to put the money into the next issue. (The magazine folded the following month.)

In 1983, I took on a job as copy editor for the Fairbanks Daily News Miner. My interest in Iceys was further piqued by Lake Minchumina’s Julie and Miki Collins who affirmed what I’d been thinking – Iceys are hardy, hardworking, and excellent trail horses.

My first Icelandic encounter may have been in 1986. I say may have been, because I’m not yet sure if the horses on Kodiak Island actually ARE Icelandics. I had just broken up with a boyfriend and had decided to check out the Island.

I spent 5 days in the rain, with occasional forays into the combination bar/Laundromat. In my absence, the furry beasts that lived in the wooded campground ate my bread, apples, and carrots. This didn’t endear these particular animals to me; however, I left Kodiak thinking that if they were Icelandics, they were very hardy.

In 1989, I went Outside, to get over-educated. In 2001, Pete and I, who were then living in Butte, Montana, opted to do a 63-day sea kayak trip. While in Gustavus, I saw a child trotting down the road on a stout bay gelding. The owner, Maureen Moore, said that it was an Icelandic and that there were two others in the area.

“Pete,” I said, “Someday I am going to own an Icelandic.”

Flash forward to fall, 2003, shortly after Pete and I returned to Alaska. As my partner set up his new office at Mat Su College, I checked out the library. There, on the display shelf was a copy of Brenda Imus’s Heavenly Gaits. After I finished reading the section on Icelandics, I picked up a course catalogue and then signed up for the college’s Horsemanship I Course. I started taking lessons which I paid for mucking stalls and pens. In January, 2004, I told Pete that I was GOING to BUY a horse.

Riding the Willis’s horse Colby, further convinced me that my future buddy horse HAD to be an Icelandic. Meeting breeder Virginia Crawford’s yearling Raudhetta cinched the deal. Christine Schwartz, the author of The Joy of Icelandics, notes that in many instances, Icelandics select their owners. Well, Raudi, (aka Little Red Riding Hood) chose me. Shortly thereafter, I acquired Siggi Halastajarni, (aka Ziggi Stardust) because Crawford was wise enough to insist that Raudi have a companion. (Raudi will soon be three, and Siggi will soon be two years old.)

I have, since purchasing these two, learned that the desire to own innumerable Icelandics is insatiable. I’ve sort of accepted the fact that we are, and will remain a two horse facility. While Pete repeatedly reminds me that time, money, and space are limited, I remain an inveterate Icelandic Horse window shopper. Hope springs eternal: I have spent more time than I have on hand, surfing the net, looking for that seemingly elusive, perfectly trained, no vices, extremely healthy, FREE Icelandic riding horse.

Shortly after I took on the job of “census czar,” my reason for attempting to determine Where Who Owns What became less self-serving. I soon realized was that I was providing club members with an important service. At the very least, my findings, and those of the original census taker, would make it easier for all Alaska-based Icelandic owners to make much-needed connections.

In the past month, I’ve been focusing on getting a sense of the Bigger Picture. Most of what I’ve taken to calling “Icelandic sightings” (which is a play on the term ‘Elvis Sightings’) have been word of mouth. For example, Bernie Willis provided me with the names of Icy owners in Nome, Kotzebue, Homer, and Wrangell; Brenda Karras has given me the name of an Icey owner in Fairbanks; Susan Tilley reminded me that Beth Castor, who may be moving to Ketchikan, still has Icelandics, and Mary Wheatley mentioned that Les, at Ancnorage’s F Bar J has an Icey.

And, while at a recent 4-H Horse Symposium, my friend Charlene Schmidtkunz introduced me to a woman named Margaret who said that each year, she brings a friend’s Icey to Palmer, then in fall, takes him home to Chicken.

In addition, my net surfing yielded this interesting tidbit. Sara Davis (who lives in Palmer) has an Icey for sale, who, she says “most of the time has a sweet disposition but on “her” days has a nasty disposition. (Go figure!)

A careful reading of the club newsletter has lead to other “sightings.” For instance, I was pleased to learn that Solfari, who I rode while attending the young horse training clinic at the Icelandic horse farm, is now owned by the Trickey family, who live in Fairbanks.

The next phase of what I’m now calling “my ongoing research project” will involve following up on ALL my leads. I foresee that the completed census will have specifics, as these relate to gender, age, registration, usage, and location-based information. In addition, I’ll eventually write up a history of the Icelandic Horse in Alaska.


 

AIHA Book Review 1

AIHA Book Review 2

AIHA Book Review 3

Census Part I

Census Part II

Arctic Arrow Solstice Gathering

Postscipt Solstice Party

Best Horse

Big Little Horse

Bolting

Breed Standards

Fluga

Gudmar Clinic

Thinking Outside the Box

Thor's Passing

Two Hunars

Unforseen Problems

Winter Riding