English (United Kingdom)
Some competitions involving horses date back to the very start of the historic tie between man and horse, especially those focused on speed. Rome’s Circus Maximus and the film Ben Hur immediately come to mind.
One of Istanbul’s largest squaresis shaped like the Circus Maximusand called “The Hippodrome” on account of the racesheld there back when the city,then known as Constantinople, was part of the Roman Empire.
In Europe, modern competitionson horseback trace their rootsto the jousts of the Middle Ages, with medieval trials of dexterityand speed still held in manytowns and cities during the summermonths.
One of Istanbul’s largest squaresis shaped like the Circus Maximusand called “The Hippodrome” on account of the racesheld there back when the city,then known as Constantinople, was part of the Roman Empire.
In Europe, modern competitionson horseback trace their rootsto the jousts of the Middle Ages, with medieval trials of dexterityand speed still held in manytowns and cities during the summermonths.
In the military world, training schools were established to teach horses total obedience to the rider, a key to victory on the battlefield. Renowned examples include the school for Lipizzaner horses in Vienna and that for Andalusian mounts in Madrid, both founded for military purposes.
Dressage and vaulting competitions stress elegance, skill being the critical factor in jumping, pony games and Western riding, while courage makes the difference in open-field jumping, as well as in rodeo trials of bucking and roping, and medieval jousts and tests of speed that are won with daring and bravado.
What counts, in the end, is having fun!
Dressage and vaulting competitions stress elegance, skill being the critical factor in jumping, pony games and Western riding, while courage makes the difference in open-field jumping, as well as in rodeo trials of bucking and roping, and medieval jousts and tests of speed that are won with daring and bravado.
What counts, in the end, is having fun!
