Anja Egger-Meier – an interview about Anja, her horse breeding, horse welfare and also Katla frá Hemlu

In an exclusive interview, Monique Nilsfors at Ishestnews had the opportunity to speak with Anja Egger-Meier, a breeder and horse owner based in Switzerland, whose mare, Katla frá Hemlu II, will represent Iceland in the 7-year-old and older mare class at the World Championships in Oirschot. Anja is also the owner and co-owner of several other horses that will compete in both breeding and sport classes at the Championships.

Anja has been riding Icelandic horses since childhood, fostering a deep love for these magnificent creatures. While she initially rode at a riding school, her grandmother was a bit apprehensive about the large horses. The family came in contact with Marianne Tschappu and Anja took lessons from her. She also got to know one of Switzerland’s foremost pace riders, Markus Albrecht. Both influenced the foundation for Anja´s passionate interest in Icelandic horses. Later on Anja started to cooperate with Bjarni Jónasson in the north of Iceland.

The first time Anja saw Katla, was when the horse was just four years old, at the Landsmót in 2016. Even then, she was captivated by the horse and had a desire to own her. However, Katla’s owners were not willing to sell her at that time. Three years later, the owners had a change of heart, and Katla, who had become the highest-rated 6-year-old mare at the Landsmót the previous year, was finally available for purchase. Interestingly, the horses that placed first of the 5-year old mares and and forth of the 6-year old at the Landsmót 2016, were also owned by Anja.

During the 2009 World Championships, Anja got to know Frauke Schenzel and her family, marking the beginning of a deep friendship and a flourishing collaboration. Anja was particularly taken with Naepa vom Kronshof, who was not for sale. However, today, Anja owns several of Naepa’s descendants. Together with the Schenzel family at Kronshof, Anja owns several horses, and they work together to breed fine horses that contribute to the Icelandic horse breeding in Europe. Another important collaboration is that with Árni Björn Pálsson and his wife, Sýlvia Sígurbjörnsdóttir, in Iceland, who take care of breeding, training, showing, and competing the horses there. The Schenzel family handles the competition and training horses in Europe.

Árni Björn will also ride Katla at the World Championships and accompany her on the flight across the Atlantic. He doesn’t want to leave her alone, as Katla is essential to him and one of the best horses he has ridden. According to Árni, Katla is a unique horse with the most polite character. She is incredibly special and will do anything for her rider. Her sensitivity requires gentle handling, and she depends on being in the company of other horses she is familiar with and fond of. Her best friend is another exceptional mare, Lýdia frá Eystri-Hól, the world’s highest-rated four-gaited mare. They are inseparable and have been like peas in a pod for many years. Therefore, Lýdia will also come to Europe in August to be with her bestie, Katla. Anja likens Katla to a beautiful flower that must be nurtured tenderly. While Lýdia is a bit tougher, she is also one of Anja’s favorites.

For Anja, the well-being of her horses is paramount. No horse should have to stand alone in a paddock, which is why all her mares must have at least one companion to live with, even if they are competing and being shown at the top level. Keeping horses alone in gravel paddocks goes against her principles. The foundation for training and competition is cooperation and horsemanship. Anja believes that you should ask the horse if you can be together with it. If you treat it well, it will give its best.

Another of Anja’s principles, is that she should be able to ride the horses she owns herself. She regularly travels to Iceland and Germany to meet the teams and ride her horses, especially her favorites. She carefully selects all her horses based on the feeling she has for them. Having a strong maternal lineage is crucial for their pedigree. When asked about what guides her choices, she can’t quite put her finger on it but says it’s about what she sees in the horse’s eyes and the feeling she gets. She also considers an appealing conformation and a positive expression to be important. A beautiful head often catches her attention first, but she mentions that it doesn’t always align with the breeding judges’ opinions. For example, Lýdia only received a score of 7.5 for her head, but Anja thinks it’s one of the most beautiful she’s ever seen.

So far, Anja has only bred one foal under her own farm name. She doesn’t find it important for the offspring to carry her name but prefers to breed new horses with her collaborators. Besides Katla frá Hemlu, Pála vom Kronshof, Reynir vom Kronshof, and Hrönn frá Fakshólum will also be shown at the World Championships. All horses are owned by Anja and Kronshof jointly. Frauke Schenzel will also compete with their jointly owned horse, Jódis vom Kronshof.

After the World Championships, Katla will primarily be Anja’s own riding horse and eventually be used for breeding. In Iceland, Katla has already become a mother to two foals through embryo transfer. Anja looks to the future with confidence. Her intuition for choosing excellent horses is the reason she now owns some of the finest Icelandic horses in the world. Of course, it requires financial resources, but without knowledge and feeling, it would be challenging to achieve what Anja has done, although she is far too humble to emphasize that, according to our opinion at Ishestnews.

We thank Anja for the interview and wish Katla and all Anja´s other horses best of luck at the WC!