Skogafoss - A Connection from Iceland to Finland to Me

Thus far, none of the 2026 BreyerFest horses have been ones that I felt I had to have (although I do want the Man O' War.) That changed yesterday.

 Skogafoss, the 2026 crystal, was introduced. I was excited when I saw it and could see a lot of connections between this piece and me. Often it is those connections that drive our decisions as to what we buy for our collections.

 A mold I love by my favorite Breyer sculptor and in crystal? Win, win, win!

Kathleen Moody's Icelandic Horse from 1992 was Breyer's first porcelain. (The cold cast porcelains from 1991 were not porcelains - they were a mix of resin powder and other ingredients.) 

Skogafoss is that piece shrunk down to 5" and produced in crystal.

Not only is he a favorite of mine, but a few years ago Mountain Mama Jessica told me that she really liked him, too, and asked if she could have him some day. (Channeling Miss Mila only in a more tactful way! LOL)

I named my Icelandic Jaarko and he did well in live shows for me. (1997 NAN)

As for the name, he was named after my friend Merja Voutilainen's son, Jaarko. 

Merja is from Espoo, Finland. Her husband, Jake, had come to the USA to attend the University of Illinois and we met at church. Merja and I were delighted to discover that we were both horsey gals.

We spent a lot of time together at the barn with Indy and our kids. 

Indy with (from left), Jessica, Sarah, and Maria, Merja's oldest daughter. Taken about 1986.

After completing his studies, Jake and Merja moved their family back to Finland. Thanks to Facebook, she and I have been able to stay in touch.

Jake and Merja at home in Finland - notice her tee shirt!

Merja and her daughter, Bella, still ride together, although they have to work around Finland's brutal winters. 

Celebrating a recent birthday with horsey cakes. 

Merja and I have not seen each other since she moved back to Finland, but those horsey bonds go deep and are still there.

And so, Skogafoss represents a lot of connections for me. He is definitely a must-have and at the very top of my list of pieces that I want from BreyerFest this year.

I don't name my crystals, but maybe I will this year. Maybe "Jake" after Merja's husband. ("Jake" is pronounced "YAH-kay" in Finnish.)

I might name the Celebration Horse after Merja, too. (Pronounced MEH-dee-uh.")

Stay 'tooned!

My Finnish Horsey Connection

I finally found one of my favorite pictures of Indy. It shows how unflappable and gentle he was, and how much my kids loved him.

This was taken back in the mid 1980s at our church's 4th of July BBQ with (from left) our daughters Jessica and Sarah, and Maria Voutilainen, a Finnish girl whose father, Jake, was studying at the University of Illinois. Her mama, my friend Merja, was an accomplished horsewoman and became a good friend while they were in the states.

She is still in the saddle and riding in Finland, although like me she is in her grandmothering years. Merja is on the left, and her daughter, Bella, is on the right.

I spoke with Merja yesterday via Facebook Messenger and she is still as horsey as ever. She continues to take riding lessons, although the horses in the photo above are being moved to a warmer place now that winter is coming. (I can only imagine winter in a country like Finland - brrrr!)

Thank you, Merja, for letting me use your picture and for being my friend for thirty plus years. I am so happy that you are still riding and following our shared passion for horses!

A Favorite Photo of Indy

This is one of my favorite pictures of Indy:

Jessica, Sarah, and Maria Voutilainen 

The photo was taken at the ward 4th of July party in 1987. Maria's father, Jakki, was at the University of Illinois getting his DMA (Doctoral of Musical Arts). Her mother, Merja, was a horse lover and a far better rider than me. She loved to join me at the barn and ride. After Jakki got his DMA, they returned to Finland. Merja and I are still in touch (Facebook is a wonderful tool for that!) and she still rides.

Maria, like her father, also is a musician and has had several hits in Finland, winning one of the Eurovision contests which brought her to America for a tour in 2012. She lives in California and works in the music industry. She's married and her name is now Maria Kizirian.