Flying C Ranch Icelandic Horses

ABOUT US

FLYING C RANCH

Flying C Ranch is located in the Beautiful Santa Ynez Valley in the heart of Santa Barbara's Wine Country. It was founded by Will and his mom Betsy Covert in 1987 and is now run by Will and Asta.
It has a great facility for Icelandic Horses. Including an 200 m FEIF legal track, 150m pacetrack, a 62ft. covered round pen, Irrigated pastures and plenty of paddocks and stalls.

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WILL COVERT

Will reciving the gold medal in Germany 1999

Will Covert started in horses very young, first in Quarter horses and now since 1993 in Icelandic horses. Will has been very successful both in America and in Europe. He has been many times American Champion and he became the first American to make the finals at the World Championships in 1997 when he rode Dynur fra Ytra-Skörðugili. In 1999 he went all the way when he won the World Champion title in Tolt 2 on Blær fra Sigluvík. He and his Mom, Betsy Covert, also owned the Stallion, Hrafn frá Garðabæ, who won the 5 year-old age group at the World Championships.
Will has been in Iceland training and speaks fluent Icelandic. He is the first American member of the Trainer Association of Iceland and is a certified farrier. He is continuing his education both in Europe and Iceland, and hopes to bring the knowledge back to Americans so they can enjoy this fantastic breed as well. And now he is an FEIF International Judge.

Will is a very active member of the United States Icelandic Horse Congress. He is a member of the Sport committee as well as the Education committee.

Will rode in Landsmot 2000 and made 9th place in five gait out of more than 90 horses on a mare named Fjöður fra Ási I. He has competed at multiple Icelandic Championships and in 2003 he competed on Þór frá Prestsbakka and placed 4th in both Open Five-Gait and Open Tölt 2.

Will pacing Dynur in Norway 1997

Ásta B. Covert

Ásta and Þór reciving their award in Iceland

Ásta B. Covert is born in Iceland. She came to America to help with the horses and hasn't left since. She has been riding and showing horses since she was in a diaper. Both her parents Bjarni and Helga are involved in horses so she grew up around them. Her father is a professional trainer in Iceland. She helped her father with a riding school for children for many summers and worked at a well known summer camp and riding school at Geldingaholt by Rosemarie and Sigfús for 2 summers. She later worked in one of Iceland's largest Tack Shop as a summer job.
Ásta is a very active member of the United States Icelandic Horse Congress. She is in charge of the USIHC Registry and is a member of the Sport committee as well as the Breeding Committee. She also helped out translating the Gaedingacompetition rules from Icelandic to English so they are now internationally recognized. Will and Ásta also helped their friend Eyjólfur "Jolli" Ísólfsson by translating the transcript of his first video "On Horseback".

Ásta is multiple American show Champion, she competed at her first Landsmót in 1990 when she was only 11 years old and again in 1994, 1998 and 2000. Ásta represented Iceland at the first Youth Cup held in Luxemburg in 2005. She became an Icelandic Champion in four gait in 1998 in young adults class on her horse Eldur frá Hóli and they were also Landsmot finalist in the same year in her age group. At the Icelandic Championships in 2000 she competed for the first time in the adult classes and she made it to the master level and placed 5th in four gait and 10th in Tölt among all the professionals in Iceland on her horse Eldur frá Hóli. And again in 2004 she placed 5th in open fourgait at the Icelandic Championships then riding Þór frá Litlu-Sandvík. In 2005 Þór and Ásta became Icelandic Champions in Tolt 2 and also placed 7th in Master level Four gait at the same competition.
Ásta works with Atli Guðmundsson and other top trainers and riders every chance she gets to further her knowledge and skills as a rider.