Riders on the storm

About three weeks ago, there was supposed to be a major competition for Icelandic horses on the ice of our local lake. All I had to do was to open the door, walk onto the lake and start snapping away…

The day of the competition was wreathed in white and spectral purple. A Class 2 snowstorm had decided to blow in and stop many of the top horses from being able to make it to the competition. Icy roads and horse transportation do not go well together.

A few dozen hardy souls turned up … and danced in the gale force winds on the iced over lake.

Icelandic horses are famous for their ambling gait – called the tölt. Ribbons were awarded to the winning horses as riders cowered from the storm in large padded overalls.

I like this photo as it contrasts the modern transport embodied in a quad bike with the ancient transport system that is a horse.

The wind was literally howling like hungry wolves as it blew horizontally into my face, cutting through the my six layers of clothing like red-hot needles through flesh. My fingers froze into place over the camera and I lost all feeling. Luckily, I wasn’t so badly off as the time I cried from the cold.

The alarming nuclear redness of my cold face was reflected in the faces all around me.

Still, that didn’t stop the riders from being as cheerful as their sturdy steeds in their merry winter coats, and who were doing happy little jigs and enjoying the bracing weather…

Meanwhile, I decided that the storm was best viewed from inside with a steaming cup of tea in my hands.

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