Germany: Competitors jump into hobby horse championships

AP Photo/Michael Probst

Columbian.com - Full Article

Germany’s first hobby horsing championship has got underway in Frankfurt this weekend with hundreds of young riders competing in time jumping, style jumping and dressage on their wooden stick horses

By STEFANIE DAZIO and DANIEL NIEMANN, Associated Press
Published: September 21, 2024

FRANKFURT, Germany — Germany’s first hobby horsing championship got underway in Frankfurt last week, with hundreds of young riders competing in time jumping, style jumping and dressage on their wooden stick horses.

Roughly 300 riders — mostly youngsters, but there are about 20 adults enrolled — were expected to canter around a gymnasium Saturday and Sunday, watched by 1,500 spectators. The competition is part of a growing wave of hobby horsing events internationally: the United States and Australia also held their first championships this year.

“Hobby horsing just gives me self-confidence and I just enjoy doing it with other people,” said Max Gohde, a 15-year-old competitor from Gifhorn, Germany, who has been practicing since 2020. “And now there’s also this atmosphere here, where everyone is just happy for you. And I think that’s just really cool.”

The events stemmed from a grassroots movement in Finland, where riders trotted their hobby horses through Nordic forests more than 20 years ago...

Read more here:
https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/sep/21/competitors-jump-into-hobby-horse-championships/

How to Lose Friends and Irritate People at your next Endurance Ride

April 1 2024
by Tamara Baysinger

TheSweatyEquestrian.com - Full Story

Do you struggle with being too nice? Do people insist on thinking the best of you?

It’s your lucky day! This post offers exclusive tips for how to lose friends and irritate people at your next endurance ride.

Before the Ride

When you arrive in camp, block the main road for at least ten minutes while you get the lay of the land. Then, park in the middle of the vetting area. Start unpacking quickly so you can look extra harassed when the ride manager asks you to move.

Build a really big electric pen for your horse. This is most effective if parking is limited.

You didn’t turn that electric fence on, did you? Good, because it’s important that your horse escape at least once. When he does, you should shout and wave your arms while he gallops through camp. Bonus points if other horses break loose and join the stampede.

At the pre-ride meeting, be sure to talk loudly while the manager goes over the trail...

Read more here:
https://thesweatyequestrian.com/how-to-lose-friends-and-irritate-people-at-your-next-endurance-ride/