Become a real-life Legolas: The art of horseback archery

This weekend, the first horseback archery course takes place in Iceland. Horseback archery is an ancient Asian martial art and is tought in Iceland by Pettra Engeländer who runs a horseback archery school in Germany. Yesterday I observed two Icelandic horses getting used to a bow and arrow and was allowed to try out this exciting sport for myself. 

Engeländer travelled to Mongolia fifteen years ago and developed her own method connecting martial arts to modern riding. Horse archery is based on a unique balance between horse and rider and Engeländer is enchanted with the Icelandic horse, a breed she hadn't encountered before. She believes Icelandic horses are particularly well suited to the sport which is founded on a deep trust between a horse and its rider, with the horse having to think independently while the rider concentrates on shooting from his bow. 

One of the organisers of the course, Claudia Schenk says that this is the first time that the sport takes place in Iceland and believes that the general interest in archery is rising. "I imagine the image of a strong amazonian woman on horseback carrying a weapon is enchanting," she explains, and cites films such as Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games and Brave as influences, particularly for young women. 

There are two weekend courses taking place at Eldhestar in Hveragerði, south Iceland in April, on April 10- 12 and April 17- 19. Those interested in takng part can contact the organisers on their Facebook page or by emailing icehorsearchery@gmail.com. Those who wish to come and observe the course are also welcome for a small fee.