Volunteer for Over Half a Century

Guðmundur Valtýsson, a farmer from Eiríksstaðir in Svartárdalur, has been a dedicated volunteer at horse riding events in northern Iceland since 1972. Now, 54 years later, he continues to serve, a testament to his enduring commitment.

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The change in event management is immense since we started dabbling in it in 1972. All this equipment and technology that makes everything possible. The horses are naturally much more magnificent and better, and so is the horsemanship, so you can't compare it.

Valtýsson has witnessed dramatic transformations in the equestrian world. "The change in event management is immense since we started dabbling in it in 1972," he observed. "All this equipment and technology that makes everything possible. The horses are naturally much more magnificent and better, and so is the horsemanship, so you can't compare it."

He fondly recalls his early days, though not without hardship. Valtýsson missed the 1966 Hólamót, Iceland's premier horse riding event, due to a demanding sheep shearing expedition. This involved gathering and shearing sheep from the mountains, a process that often lasted for days and left participants utterly exhausted. "We rounded up the sheep from the settled areas to the shepherd's hut at Galtará and sheared there until nightfall," he recounted. "The next day, we continued from Galtará to Ströngukvísl, where there's another hut, and sheared there. We were exhausted, some collapsed and slept in wool piles to get a little rest."

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We rounded up the sheep from the settled areas to the shepherd's hut at Galtará and sheared there until nightfall. The next day, we continued from Galtará to Ströngukvísl, where there's another hut, and sheared there. We were exhausted, some collapsed and slept in wool piles to get a little rest.

Valtýsson also shared concerns about organizing the first quarter-finals event in 1972. "I must admit, people were afraid of taking it on and not being able to handle it," he said. However, the event's success led to the decision to host the National Championship two years later. "I said then, and I still say, that we didn't need to be afraid of it after going through the beginning of it," he stated. The collective volunteer effort allowed the horse riding clubs to build facilities, including their own at Húnavellir, paving the way for future major competitions.

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I must admit, people were afraid of taking it on and not being able to handle it. But it went so well that two years later it was decided to hold the National Championship. I said then, and I still say, that we didn't need to be afraid of it after going through the beginning of it.