Tent Pegging is a popular sport played through the use of horses and pegs. To play this game, a person should be an expert horse rider.

Overviewfolk festivals, harvesting season, farmers

Many professions include training sessions for the development of horse riding skills. For instance, military personnel train to ride a horse without any fear. Same is the case for the officers joining civil services. Many youngsters learn horse riding as a hobby too. In this article, we will provide an overview of the art of tent pegging.

Background

For a long time, man and horse have had a close connection. This rapport has transformed with time. Man trained horses to perform specific moves too. This practice has given rise to various equestrian games: Eventing, Dressage and Jumping. Among these, one such equestrian sport is Tent Pegging.

Introduction to Tent PeggingTent Pegging in Pakistan, horse riding, sports

As the name itself suggests, it is a sport of cavalry where a horseman rides towards a target. Once the horseman gets close to the target, he pierces it using his lance or sword. He picks it up and carries the peg forward. This act continues till he carries the series of pegs placed on the track. The success lies in the timings of the complete act. The arm’s movement has to match with the movement of the horse. A slight lack of coordination would make you lose your target. The rider’s agility, timeliness, and intensity of the hit are important in this game.

Read more: Gaming in Pakistan

Types of Tent Pegginghorsemen, horse sports, sports in Pakistan

There are different types of tent pegging games:

Ring Jousting

It involves a series of suspended rings. The horse rider has to pass the weapon through it.

Lemon Sticking

The rider has to slice suspended lemons while riding the horse.

Quintain Tilting

A swaying mannequin is a target. The rider has to charge towards it and stab it.

Mounted Archery

Various targets are on the track. The rider has to target his weapon in the absolute center of the target.

A Short History of Tent Pegging

This game originated in Afghanistan. It came from the ancient approaches to warfare. Many theories elaborate on the origin of the game.

One such perspective considers Tent Pegging is a technique used by warriors. They learned this skill to attack the tents of their enemies. The horsemen would use their long swords to attack tents exposing the enemy hideouts.

Another view considers this sport as an exercise to sharpen your targets. In this way, the warriors are able to attack the elephant’s feet of the enemies at its weakest point. This in turn drives the elephants back towards their own army.

Significance of Horse Games for Warfare and Battleshistory of tent pegging, horse rider, pegs

Cavalry stands as an important unit of the army. The horse riding forces train to conquer the opposing forces. They do this within their troops and take down their most crucial units and arsenals.

If you are a player of chess, it will not be hard to understand the importance of a knight. It’s the only player that can move above all other players in almost every direction. This example can prove the significance of a horse ride.

Thus, equestrian games and tent pegging are significant in many countries including Pakistan.

Where and When Tent Pegging is Played?Ring Jousting, lemon sticking, Mounted Archery

Games like cricket, football, and tennis have gained more attention. Nonetheless, the spirit of tent pegging is still alive in the rural areas of the country. People play this classic game in various cultural festivals organized by the locals.

If you want to see the game, then explore the events of the National Horse and Cattle Show. These shows start in different regions of Pakistan. The federal and provincial governments organize them in the rural and urban areas.

The tent pegging festival in Islamabad is one major example of reviving this culture. Likewise, a tent pegging festival, arranged in Rawalpindi, entertained the locals. Through these events, everyone gets a chance to see these sportsmen’s hunting skills.

Tent Pegging gets organized along with cultural celebrations such as folk festivals. Displays of handicrafts and other ornaments are available in them.

In rural areas, when farmers prepare for the harvesting season, they plan for the festival too. Once the fields get harvested, the tent pegging festival begins.

Related: Pakistan’s youth shine at street child games in 2016

National Recognitionclassic game, horse and cattle show, cultural festival

Tent Pegging is always admired by the local inhabitants as well as the political figures. Shaukat Hayat Bosan is one such example who declared this sport as the game of lions. He emphasized an important point of this sport that it is not dependent on a good breed of horse. Success in Tent Pegging also depends on the experience and technique of a horse rider. Thus, the coordination of man and the horse brings positive results.

International Achievementswarfare game, Cavalry, sports men,

The people of Pakistan did not restrict this game within the borders of the country. They represented Pakistan on various international platforms.

Related: Pakistan gets the third position in South Asian games 2016

We hope you learned something new about Pakistani sports today! Happy exploring!