They’re Off!

Description

Open Edition

This is a section (a section comprises 4 riders and horses) of the Mudgeeraba 14th Light Horse Troop tent-pegging team that competed, and won, at the Monto Australian Light Horse re-enactment and reunion in 2005.

I was particularly fascinated by the excitement and self control of the horses – their ears back listening as they wait for their rider’s signal to gallop, trying to stand still while almost jumping out of their skins with excitement at the anticipated gallop they knew was about to come.

Tent-pegging requires the horse to stand steady and then break into a gallop from a standing start, to gallop in a straight line while his rider with either a long lance or a sword, leans down and with his sharp weapon pick up from the ground a “tent -peg” and carry it to the finish line where the horse must come to a rapid stop and stand still. It is highly skillful and demanding of both horse and rider.

Tent-pegging was one of the sporting activities that, during military training, Australian Light Horsemen practised to develop their skills in horsemanship and good hand – eye coordination. It originated from the Pakistani and Indian armies who invented the sport we now call tent-pegging to break the boredom of deployed troops on the borders of their country.