Photos of the 1960's Imports continued ~

Toppa fra Stóru-Ökrum IS1954258636 (Also in Dyfra's pedigree)

Mosa and Rhefna were the only two horses that were rideable of the imported mares. Margaret Ashelman was the wife of Sam Ashelman who imported the horses and owned them until 1966.

A young stallion pulls a sleigh in West Virginia. 1966

By the early 80's, the horses were getting old. My kids called them their "pony uncles" and lounged around on their backs. Annie' children.

Annie Shields, spent a summer working for Peter Strong getting horses ready for endurance rides in Vermont. He wanted to have a big Icelandic horse farm in Brattleboro, but it never happened.

Siri Ashelman and some kids checking out a foal.

1960's Import Photos

Annie, has been finding her photo and has allowed them to be shared on this Blog. It will take me a few days to match photos with captions, so please bare with me.

Valur ~ 3 gaited Icelandic Stallion imported from Iceland. Can see a lot of Dyfra in him.

Annie's friend Molly Warner riding imported mare Gletta. They had no saddles and the bridles were dry-rotted pieces of junk they found hanging on nails in the barn.

An endurance ride in Vermont in the early '70's.

This imported mare, Tinna, was wild as a March hare, couldn't be gentled, so Annie brought her to Washington D.C. and against city ordinances, she lived with Annie for months so that I could spend time with her.

A young stallion pulls a sleigh in West Virginia. 1966

The imported horses were not trained. Annie and her friends helped her get them started, then they rode for fun.

A few months after the mares arrived, they began having foals. Anne Dunbar and Annie Shields.

16 year old Annie.

Bonnie Weiss helped Annie with the Icelandics for years, first in Ashton MD, then later , after Annie bought the 50 horses in West Virginia.

Blesi was the stallion who came from Iceland in utero and was among the first batch of babies. He wasn't related to any mares (except his mother). Here he is pictured as a three-year old.

Blesi as an older horse. Annie always have thought he has a debauched look about him in this picture