Suomenhevonen 2010 (suomenhevosliitto, the finnhorse association)
Pic: Nina Vuontisjärvi
Leena Jaakkola and her mare Valssandra brought two bronze medals from Nordic para-equestrian championships held in Denmark in May. Pretty good for a woman who had to learn to walk again not too long time ago.
This was the first time for a finnhorse to place in any international riding competition. It's rare to see finnhorses in international events, so it's no wonder neither crowd nor co-competitors recognized the breed. Most guessed she was a haflinger.
Caught by MS-disease ten years ago, Leena could never imagine a life without horses. She has trained Valssandra by herself. To find themselves from Vallensbäck, Denmark, was not a predicted result.
- I bought "Sandra" when she was just three months old and I was still healthy. After the sickness I had to let my competitive horse go, but I wanted to keep her. Even when I got out of the wheelchair Sandra stayed as my second horse. She was such a joybringer, though not any special comp horse, told Leena, who has been an eager competitor in open dressage classes, too.
Finnhorse isn't very common in dressage classes, and there's a reason for that.
-Judges often say that the horse's moves are modest and low, but hey, that's precisely what makes it possible for me to ride! We just have to get the points elsewhere, like accuracy and technic, says the determined rider.
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