“Live With Harsh Elements”: Horse Racing Realm Confronts the Stark Reality of the Icelandic Herd – Unveil a Glimpse Into the Equine World’s Challenges

Owning a horse is more than having a pet; it’s akin to a lifelong companion. For riders, horses transcend mere pets; they demand dedicated care and foster profound connections with humans. Together, they strive for constant improvement, especially in the horse racing arena. FEI embarked on a mission to boost interest in equestrianism, aiming to provide an enhanced value for both themselves and their primary commercial partner, Longines, across various platforms—broadcast, OTT, digital, and social media.

However, FEI released a short series titled ‘Ride’ a while back. Its last episode was released in May. More recently, a new episode has been released which is thrilling and unveils the real truth about horses, phenomenal as it was.

The essence of Icelandic horse racing

In a recent Instagram post by FEI, they shared an intriguing reel captioned as ‘Ride: New episode is out now.‘ The caption was followed by additional information that reads, ‘This month, Ride from FEI Originals presented by Longines takes us on the move with an Icelandic herd as they are rounded up and delivered to their winter dwellings.’

The video included in the post sheds light on the struggles faced by horses in Iceland, emphasizing their enduring significance in the island’s cultural heritage. Over centuries, Icelandic horses have remained a vital element since their arrival with the Viking settlers, thriving amidst the summer pastures. As the woman in the video said,” They have to live with the harsh elements of Iceland and that really shapes them”. Another participant in the video said,” We are breeding horses and all our life revolves around horses in one way or another. We are training our own horses for a breeding show for competition for selling and yeah, it’s all year round. The whole family is working with it”. It has absolutely grabbed its viewers by its coattails and promises an informative deep dive into these fine mares and stallions.

Transforming “RIDE” into an equestrian lifestyle experience

Four sets of films for each episode which were aimed at distribution to 4 households redefined RIDE as an equestrian lifestyle and culture. This strategy looked beyond sports fanfare and attempted to involve even the peripheral fans in more varied types of storytelling. The production team ensured that these films were well integrated with Longines’ exposure, using complicated multi-camera setups involving gimbals, drones and horseback crews.

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This has led to major repercussions in the FEI’s content strategies over multiple platforms, such as the global broadcast series. It has extended the popularity of this sport, greater exposure, increased value additions and enhanced brand synergy for their primary business partner Longines.

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