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Three clubs, the Hasselas Riding and Drivingclub, Harmångers Ridingclub
and Jättendals Ridingclub host the annual "Norrhälsinglands
Hästrally" which is difficult to translate. The nearest I can come to in English is "North Halsinglands horse race". Halsingland is the landscape's name and the clubs are in the comunity named "Nordanstig" (exact translation is "Northtrail".)
The competetion "moves" to different locations it but it is always somewhere in Northtrail comunity (Nordanstigs Kommun in Swedish).
The event is two days long, 35 km per day. On the trail there are various
"tests" on how good you are at riding/driving and there is a masquerade contest which ends day one. You earn points at each of the tests and the contestant with the highest points wins.
It doesn´t matter if you are a rider or a driver. The trail is the same for
everyone and are from 10 to 15 tests each event. One series for drivers and one for the riders. Contestants receive points at each test.
All competers live in tents and housewagons and the horses get their own small pens in the same area. On the evening the first day there is a big party with a dance. It is wonderful and very fun. About 250 people with the same interests gather at this event.
The total event is about 70 km (about 43 mi.) split up in two days. In 1996 I competed in Hassela and Sun Fighter and I was placed in 36th place out of 80 completions. Everyone in this competetion receives a prize, but only if they complete both days allright. So in 1996, for 36th place I got 100kg of oats for Sun Fighter. Next year I´m starting on Sun Fighter and the location is probobly also in Hassela.
Waiting for a start
One of the trial exercises:
Walk in, back out and don't touch the lines
"Lucas," a beautiful Norwegian Fjord horse
"Milton," a Swedish Ardenne
"Trakt," a Northswedish Forrest / Draft Horse stallion
(Bred to Silverhajdi)
Left: Icelandic Horse
Right:Shire
A "Pure Norwegian"
Costume Competetion:
"Duck Hunting"
(A Shetland Pony in the duck suit)
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Silverhajdi - 1983 Northswedish Forrest / Drafthorse mare
(Kicki's horse)
and Daughter Mikaela
Sun Fighter - 1987 American Standardbred
(Kicki's horse)
Daughter Mikaela on top
A Northswedish Forrest / Draft Horse
Two North Swedish Forrest / Draft Horses
on the way to a test
"Hudson," a Haflinger stallion
Two North Swedish Forrest / Draft Horses
in saddle competetion
"American Saddlehorse"
Two Shetlands at one of the tests
(Walk through and back up the same course)
Costume Competetion:
Two "prisoners" on their way "home"
Costume Competetion:
The masquerade winner;
a skeleton
(Mikaela in right corner)
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