Campbell Valley Park in 91原创 was the site of the on Sunday, with teen riders from Canada, Britain, Australia and the United States competing in a variety of skill-testing events in front of an audience of about 100.
As two Team Canada competitors navigated a tricky high-speed handoff, event co-chair Joanie Thompson was taking notes from her observer position at the fence of the Campbell Valley Park arena.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really a good time and the kids really learn a lot about horsemanship and how to steer your horse and stop,鈥� Thompson said.
The Mounted Games involves riders 14 or 15 years old playing a variety of games while riding ponies.
It started in England, after Prince Philip encouraged Horse of the Year Show organizers to arrange a competition for children on 鈥渙rdinary鈥� ponies in 1957.
The exchange is held every year and rotates between Canada, Australia, Great Britain and the US.
The written rules note the prime object 鈥渋s the meeting, exchange of views and better understanding鈥� between the participating pony clubs.
Competition is restricted to the four countries because 鈥渋t has been agreed that it would not be practical financially to extend the exchange formula beyond the present four Nations, in the foreseeable future.鈥�
Teams are of four to five riders with ponies that 鈥渕ust be serviceably sound and well shod, or with their feet properly dressed.鈥�
The teams arrived June 30 and went on a 17-day tour of B.C. leading up to the event, Thompson said.
鈥淔irst we did Vancouver, then they went over to the island, then they went up to Whistler, then they came back to 91原创 for the competition.鈥�
The relay race games included the 鈥淐anadian Race鈥� which has riders using hockey sticks to knock balls through a goal post while riding through a row of four bending poles and the 鈥淪word Race鈥� which has players using a sword to retrieve rings from four posts.
Great Britain won the 91原创 event, followed by Australia, Canada, and the U.S.
This year鈥檚 competition was hosted by the which has 2,500 individual members, organized through 150 branch clubs.
The Canadian club is affiliated with an international network of more than twenty national Pony Clubs in other countries.
