Archive for May, 2012
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Bookmark: Freunds Gestüt
There are 20 000 finnhorses in Finland, but not so many outside the borders. So far I have read only about a few horses taken abroad.
Freunds Gestüt in Oberorke, Germany, has a pack of finnhorses that work for leisure rides for hotel-spa Freund’s customers.
Boker to Elitkampen
Posted by viivihoo in Harness racing on 26.5.2012
Boker elämänsä kunnossa Elitkampeniin (Etelä-Savo newspaper 25.5.2012)
Photo: Antti Savolainen
Boker’s breeder Pekka Luukkonen has warm memories of this legendary annual coldblood race in Stockholm. Rick, trained by Luukkonen, placed third in 2003, trotting the second fastest km-time ever for a finnhorse -1.19,6.
Harness racing enthusiasts around the North are aiming to Stockholm this weekend. The warmblood trotters are racing in Elitloppet and coldbloods in Elitkampen. Finnish representative for this race will be Boker, 9-year-old stallion bred by Pekka Luukkonen, trained and driven by Esa Holopainen. He will be racing against the best coldbloods of Norway and Sweden.
With a good race Boker should be able to place in the top four, estimates Luukkonen, interviewed by Etelä-Savo newspaper. Hallsta Lotus is without a doubt the best coldblood trotter in the world, but he hasn’t been overwhelmingly overpowered in Finnish races. Boker has had a very good spring and won the respected Erkon Pokaali race in Vermo against the best finnhorses. This gives Luukkonen some more confidence to Solvalla. “He is now better than ever.”
Finnhorse trotting championships in July?
Naturally Boker’s main goal for this summer is the trotter king’s crown, though Luukkonen wants to hold his feet on the ground fro now. “Two months is a long time. Harness racing is a risky sport, anything can happen before that. But we are going day by day and enjoying while this good flow lasts.”
Photo of the week: Viesker
Posted by viivihoo in Breeding & pedigrees, Harness racing, Photo of the week on 25.5.2012
One year in WordPress
Posted by viivihoo in Statistics, contests & other on 25.5.2012
This blog was first published in October 2009 in Vuodatus.net, Finnish blog host, but moved to WordPress May 25th, 2011.
Just thought I should mention it. More years to come! :)
2nd ranking for trotting championships
Posted by viivihoo in Harness racing on 24.5.2012
Tähen Tuuri
Photo: Hippos photo bank
From kuninkuusravit.fi
First rankings for trotting championships (posted 16.4.2012)
The second ranking for finnhorse trotting championships was calculated after Savo race held in Kuopio 19th of May. This ranking includes only the horses that have raced this year. The purely mathematical system emphasizes winnings on whole trotting career and the fastest km-time.
| Stallions 1. Frans – 85 points 2. Tuokkolan Touho – 62p 3. Boker – 60p 4. Franko – 48p 5. Villihotti -45p 6. Visul – 44p 7. I.P. Lento – 38p 8. Tähen Tuuri – 36p 9. Veeran Turo – 30p 10. Köppinen – 25p 11. Suikun Rilla – 23p 12. Virijori – 20p 13. Hepori – 14p 14. A.T. Veli – 9p 15. Keisar – 8p 16. Vieskerin Valo – 6p |
Mares 1. I.P. Vipotiina – 94 points 2. Marimin – 66p 3. Sirun Valpuriina – 64p 4. B. Helmiina – 53p 5. B. Turolii – 52p 6. Helmin Roosa – 46p 7. Aino-Ilona – 35p 8. Martsa – 23p 9. Siirius – 20p 10. Noriko – 19p 11. Edla – 18p 12. Poljento – 15p 13. Yllin Kyllin – 9p |
Finnhorse still lacks its official flag day
Posted by viivihoo in Art & Culture on 23.5.2012
Suomenhevoselle vaaditaan edelleen virallista liputuspäivää (Turun Sanomat 7.9.2009)
Ratsu Reima & Laura Porthan at Ypäjä. Photo by Timo Jerkku / TS-yhtymä
Finnhorse is a loyal worker and hero of Finland’s rebuild after our wars. It is a horse of a thousand stories.
Finnhorse’s day was announced in 2007, and flagging has been recommended on 6th of September by Hippos, the main organization of Finnish horse breeding and harness racing in Finland. It is legal to raise the flag nevertheless it is a national flag day or not, but it would add more value for the day to make it official, and also other than horse people would notice it.
- Yes, our only native horse breed has earned it’s flag day. It has built this country and been an essential help in developing our nation, justified the breeding director Terttu Peltonen from Hippos on Turun Sanomat in 2009.
Finnhorses have been purebred for over hundred years, the studbook was found in 1907. At the moment there about 20 000 finnhorses in Finland, serving as sports-, leisure-, and work horses.
This online petition demands a flag day for finnhorse. It has been online since 2007, but still signable. I believe that Sini will take the petition forward as she just gets more names on it. I decided to support by linking since I believe there are a few more people who would like to see the Finnhorse’s day on their calendars as an official flag day. :)
National Treasure as the blog of the day on Haynet
Posted by viivihoo in Statistics, contests & other on 21.5.2012
National Treasure was aknowledged as the blog of the day on Haynet, UK’s number one equine social blogging network. Yay! :D
Photo of the week: Velin Vinke
Posted by viivihoo in Harness racing, Photo of the week on 18.5.2012
A finnhorse in Dodge-man’s daydreams
Posted by viivihoo in Art & Culture, Video on 16.5.2012
Jalavan musiikkivideossa suomenhevonen tunkee Dodge-miehen päiväuniin (rumba.fi 25.4.2012)
Band Jalava has become familiar for the fans of Finnish pop. Their debute album is coming out next autumn, releasing a new single and a music video for their song “Sinä yönä” (That night). The video and the song give quite a contradictory feelings -while the song is light and more joyful than distressing, the video gives even slightly threatening feelings. Could it be a compliment for a tv-show by David Lynch from the early 90s?
Video: Colts at Miehikkälä 2010
Posted by viivihoo in Breeding & pedigrees, Video on 15.5.2012
Traditional and, most importantly, practical group pastures for colts are very popular. The colts are set free at once and the first hour or so is the most entertaining part, as the youngsters sort out the pack leadership issues before settling to eat. Groups are open to horses of all breeds, but as the standardbred trotter and finnhorse are the two most popular horse breeds in Finland, they also form a majority in these groups. :)
Video by jenna1penna on Youtube.
Apilan Ruska will bring joy for many
Posted by viivihoo in Harness racing, Video on 13.5.2012
Kimppahevonen Apilan Ruska (porinravit.fi)
Another interesting group ownership opportunity! Apilan Ruska is a two-year-old finnhorse mare that Pori race track is going to have sold in 1000 stocks.
One stock for the mare costs 50 euro, and the group will own the horse for three years, until the end of 2015. The horse will be sold again in 2016 and if there is any money left on her account (e.g. her winnings), it will be donated to local children’s hospital.
More information and booking for stocks at jose.laaksonen@porinravit.fi
Photo of the week: Ykköstykki
Posted by viivihoo in Breeding & pedigrees, Photo of the week on 11.5.2012
Ykköstykki, the winner of the national foal show for three-year-olds at Tampere in April 2012.
Photo: Hippos.fi photo bank
Photo of the week: Giganotosaurus
Posted by viivihoo in Breeding & pedigrees, Photo of the week on 4.5.2012
Giganotosaurus at the national foal show for three-year-olds at Tampere.
Photo: Hippos.fi photo bank
Napsukka, the seven-time Finnish champion
Posted by viivihoo in Breeding & pedigrees, Work horse on 1.5.2012
Kuukauden työhevonen: Napsukka (työhevosharrastajat.net)
1st prize mare NAPSUKKA 1637-94Ta
born 22th of May 1994
s. Ilon-Pisko
d. Voipulla
Owner: Eeva-Liisa Pitkänen
Breeder: Anja Jutila Alavieskasta
She has the enthusiasm, strength and she is a humble nature, Eeva-Liisa tells about her horse.
Napsukka came to her as a five-year-old. The calm mare was not exactly trotter material, but she has proven herself perfect for plowing shows and pleasure driving. She is easy to handle and trustworthy even when around bigger crowds. She likes especially little children and greets them by neighing.
Napsukka is a four-time Finnish champion in plowing from 2008 to 2011 and also three-time-champion in logging competitions between 2008-2010. Eeva-Liisa also likes to school newly-born foals the traditional way, by tying the foal to mare’s harness while plowing -that way the foal learns to be walked and that the plow behind is not dangerous. The presence of the foal does not make the mare distracted, she knows her job.
Napsukka has five foals to date: stallion Hupsukka (2007), mare Tepsukka (2008), mare Savotan Tyttö (2009), stallion Napsaus (2010) and mare Lupsukka (2011, shown in these pictures).
Original text & photos by Kirsti Forssen
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