Horses of Iceland at the World Championships in Switzerland

Earlier this August, the World Championships for Icelandic Horses brought together riders and horses from 19 nations in Birmenstorf, Switzerland. Horses of Iceland was present with a booth on the competition grounds, proudly hosting FEIF, Landsmót 2026, and SIF.

Visitors were invited to take part in daily giveaways – with around 30 prizes donated by partners – and to leave their mark on our booth by writing three words that describe the Icelandic horse or pinpointing on a world map where they had seen or traveled because of the breed. For the youngest visitors, we also offered face painting and temporary tattoos of Icelandic horses, which were a popular hit with children throughout the week.

1. Henning Drath, founder of Eyja.net and new Horses of Iceland partner, pinpoints places he has been in the United States thanks to the Icelandic horse.
2. Visitors participating in the daily giveaway.
3. Berglind Margo Þorvaldsóttir hands out a magnet to a visitor.

In the evenings, our booth transformed into a studio for Eiðfaxi TV’s Top Reiter Stofan, broadcast on mbl.is. We also hosted several “meet and greet” events, including with young Icelandic riders – among them the reigning World Champion and two who later became double World Champions – as well as the Swedish, French, and Australian national teams, and riders from the relay ride that traveled from Oirschot in the Netherlands, host of the 2023 Championships.

1. A visitor is happy to meet Evie Oliver, groom on Team Australia.
2. Happy fans meet riders Védis Huld Sigurðardóttir and Matthías Sigurðsson.
3. Gundula Sharman, President of FEIF, pinpoints her farm on the Horses of Iceland world map.

Around the event, five new companies joined Horses of Iceland as

partners

What we’ll remember most is the great mood, the warm and welcoming atmosphere, and the positivity of everyone we met – despite the +30°C heat every single day! We also extend our thanks to the event and grounds managers for delivering an excellently organized Championship, with beautiful, clean, and well-designed facilities for exhibitors, riders, and visitors.

Once again, the World Championships highlighted the incredible international community that has grown around the Icelandic horse – and the pride and joy this unique breed inspires worldwide.