Emmelev A/S supports the young rider from the local area with a sponsorship so that she can participate in the World Championships in Switzerland in the coming week. Sheis number one in the world rankings and has good chances of good placings.
After a trip with a horse trailer through Europe, 26-year-old Natalie Fischer from Knappendrup on Nordfyn, Denmark, is now ready to participate in her second World Championship for Icelandic horses.
It takes place in Birmenstorf near Zurich in Switzerland, where riders from 21 nations will compete for 18 titles in the coming week. Denmark will show up with 12 participants, seven senior and five young riders.
Natalie Fischer believes that she can do better this year than two years ago, when she won a bronze medal at the World Championships in the Netherlands.
She qualified for the first time with the horse Ímnir for the Danish Championships in 2016, rode her first Danish Championships the following year and became Danish champion for the first time in 2018. Last year, Natalie Fischer became Nordic champion and is now placed in first place in the world rankings.
She became double Danish champion in the disciplines P1 and P2 at the Danish Championships in Sport for Icelandic horses this year, and this naturally brings joy to the local community, where Emmelev A/S, among others, sponsors the local rider, as it is associated with great costs to participate.
"It really means a lot to me to participate in this major international event. There are many of us with an interest in Icelandic horses in Denmark, and only seven senior riders are selected. So qualifying at all is a big result in itself," says Natalie Fischer.
"I beliive that we can do well in Switzerland. We are in first place in the world ranking, and that is an obligation. We are in good shape and we want to do the best. It is about being the best on the day," says Natalie Fischer.
She and Ímnir have settled well in the city where the World Championships are taking place, and they have started training on the World Cup track, where the conditions are good. This applies to stables, which are great, other facilities and even the track where the competition takes place.
"It all seems to be very well organized, and its great to experience," says Natalie Fischer.
The World Championships open on Monday 4 August, and the week offers competitions in various disciplines. Natalie Fischer will be in action Thursday, Friday and Saturday. She participates in two disciplines. One, P1, is about being fastest over a distance of 250 meters, where the first 50 meters can be used to set the gait pass. The other, P2, is 100 meters in pass and with flying start.
In addition to the competitions, there will be concerts, food stalls, shopping, cultural events and an international atmosphere. 30,000 visitors are expected during the week.
"I know my horse well. My parents have always had Icelandic horses, and we bought Ímnir in 2013 when it was five years old. It was not a competition horse back then, but it has become so since, and in 2018 we won the first Danish championship," says Natalie Fischer from Switzerland.
