A keyhole race is a speed event commonly seen at
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
* Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
events and
gymkhana
Gymkhana () ( ur, جِمخانہ, sd, جمخانه, hi, जिमख़ाना, as, জিমখানা, bn, জিমখানা) is a British Raj term which originally referred to a place of assembly. The meaning then altered to den ...
s, in which the
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
and rider team with the fastest time in completing the event wins. Horses running this event must have speed, but also the agility to stop quickly in full stride, turn, and bolt directly back into a run.
Course
The
obstacle course
An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual, team or animal must navigate, usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with th ...
is a
pattern
A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...
, usually marked with white powder (commonly
flour or powdered
chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
) poured into a "keyhole" shape in the dirt. The pattern varies between events. According to the California Gymkhana Association, the pattern should be set up as follows:
* from arena gate to timing line.
* from timing line to center of keyhole.
*Keyhole should be across at the entrance, from the entrance of the keyhole to the bulb.
*The bulb itself should be across.
*The pattern may also be made of cones or poles set up in a similar pattern.
Timing
The event begins when the horse and rider cross the timing line. The team enters the keyhole at a
gallop
The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...
, then turns in either direction inside the keyhole's circle without stepping over the chalk. The horse and the rider turns as fast as they can in the bulb. The team then exits the keyhole again at a gallop and the time ends once they cross the timing line.
Winning times for this event range from 5 to 10 seconds.
Penalties may be applied to a team's time. Each gymkhana or event may operate under different rules and therefore the penalties may be different. Penalties may include adding five seconds to the team's time, or may even be enough to disqualify the contestant completely.
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080607065134/http://www.calgymkhana.com/Public_Pages/ThirteenPlus/Keyhole.aspx
Mounted games
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