Why We Were Allowed to Ride in the Réttir

Let's clear something up. You don't buy your way into a réttir.

The réttir is Iceland's annual sheep roundup. Every September, farmers ride into the highlands to bring their flocks home before winter. It's been happening for over a thousand years. It's not a show. It's not a photo op. It's a workday, and everyone in the saddle has a job.

So why were two Wisconsin riders out there?

Here's the honest answer. Sheep farming isn't what it used to be. Wool prices dropped. Lamb prices dropped. For some Icelandic farmers, the math stopped working a long time ago. But the roundup still has to happen, and it takes a lot of riders to sweep those hills.

So some farms opened their doors. Trek riders bring extra legs, extra horses, and income that helps keep the farm and the tradition alive. It's not charity in either direction. It's a trade that works.

We were invited by Íslandshestar to ride the Reykjaréttir with Kálfhóll farm. Three days in the saddle. Long hours. Real weather. Real work. The farmers didn't slow down for us, and we didn't want them to.

If you ever get the chance to join one, understand what you're signing up for. You're not a tourist that weekend. You're labor. Show up ready to work, listen to the people who know the land, and earn your spot at the table that night.

That's why we were allowed. And that's why we'd go back.

Before you saddle up for a roundup of your own, read Gössi's Official Icelandic Sheep Herding Survival Guide. He has opinions.