A team of seven were selected to represent the United States at the 1993 world championship for Icelandic Horses which was held in Amsterdam, Holland, from Aug. 17-22. Sixteen nations, including Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Faroe Islands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium, France, United States, Canada, Great Britain and Luxembourg, were represented and each country brought a team of seven horses and riders. In the United States selections, shows were held on the east coast (New York) and on the west coast (Solvang, CA), Chosen for the American teams were: Caryn Cantella, Betsy Covert, Will Covert, Elisabeth Haug, Arvid Schmalz, Kristina Calabrese and Justin Van der Gage.

Out of the top four winning combinations, two of the horses originated in the United States, one was imported from Iceland and one came from Germany. Both of the American born horses were bred by Viking Saga Ranch in Solvang, CA.

Icelandic Horse world championships are momentous occasions. They are held biannually, hosted each time by a different country. Icelandic Horse fans fare to these events like Moslem pilgrims to Mecca and each show draws about fifteen thousand spectators from all over the world.

There are about 150,000 Icelandic Horses in the world, but Icelandic Horses are still a rare breed in the U.S., counting less than seven hundred.

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