Jenna Copley writes about her experiences with the British tentpegging team on a recent trip to Pakistan.
"So many people ask me 'what exactly is tentpegging?' The stock answer is that it is an ancient cavalry skill that involves using swords, lances and guns on horseback. However, I would describe it as probably the most fun you can have on a horse - it gives you an addictive high when you start hitting the targets.
Think mounted games (without the need to be flexible enough to vault!), and an almost childlike sense of fun. The use of real weapons also means this sport is one where the men are interested, there are almost equal numbers of men and women competing and you occasionally get to see the dishy Household Cavalry bachelors competing (the army announcers often handily point out when they are on the Tatler’s most eligible list).
However, it would be fair to say in the UK, the sport was dominated by women in 2012, and the boys will have to work hard to keep up in 2013.
On the 6-13 February I went out to Pakistan as part of the team of British riders taking part in a four nation challenge with South Africa, Pakistan and India. But India did not make it and so instead was replaced by a 'United Nations' team and Pakistan ended up with two teams, so was actually a five-team competition.
Pakistan may sound like a daunting place to visit, but we were well looked after by HRH Prince Malik Ata Muhammad Khan, a legend in his own right and a generous patron of the tentpegging (in Urdu “Neza Bazi”) sport.
I have to say Pakistan was bliss after leaving the ankle deep mud and freezing conditions of home. It was green, and warm with very few flies and almost no mosquitoes.
The horses were impressive, and we wondered why they often hobbled the back legs when on lines. We soon gathered that only stallions are ridden and therefore they are hobbled to stop them swinging round and kicking their neighbour. The amount of stallions kept in close proximity would be a logistical nightmare for the UK, but the Pakistanis had this down to a fine art.
The competition itself was fast and furious. All teams suffered the handicap of horses frequently changing, very few were static throughout the competition. Unlike showjumping, there was no warm-up and you had to jump on a new horse and run them when it counted, which meant the scoring was at times slightly erratic for all teams.
But the British acquitted themselves well with Jacky Chandler in the United Nations team bringing home a bronze in the pairs sword and a bronze in team sword.
Michael Smith and Gerald Nott brought home a bronze in pair lance and silver in team Indian file sword. Indian file is where you gallop one after the other and must pick up your allocated peg, without running into the horse in front or dropping your weapon!
Finally Tina Ricketts-Smith and I brought home silver for the Pairs Individual Lance and silver in Team Indian file sword.
This is the first time we have scored well in pairs, which is a big achievement as you are effectively competing against ten other pairs.
The real test is coming in March when the GB squad head off to India to compete in the FEI World Cup, where at the moment seventeen nations have confirmed participation."
Jenna
.JPG "William Kennedy")
