Mounted Games is a branch of
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 in ...
sport
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
in which fast games are played on
ponies
A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...
up to a height of about .
They require athletic ability, riding skills, hand-to-eye coordination, determination, perseverance, and a competitive spirit, which nevertheless requires an ability to work together with other riders and a willingness to help one another.
Mounted Games were the inspiration of
Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
. When Col. Sir
Mike Ansell was Director of the Horse of the Year Show, Prince Philip asked if he could devise a competition for children who could not afford an expensive, well-bred pony, and in 1957 the Horse of the Year Show, then at
Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.
Construction
Harringay Arena was built and owned by Brigadier-General Alfred Critchley under ...
in North London, England, staged the first Mounted Games Championship for the Prince Philip Cup—it was an immediate box office success.
[International Mounted Games Association Website]
/ref>
The sport of Mounted Games as it exists today was founded by Norman Patrick. His aim was to extend the sport, previously age-restricted by Pony Club, for wider participation, and for this reason, in 1984, he established the Mounted Games Association of Great Britain. In the years which followed his continued support and patronage ensured that the sport spread across Great Britain and beyond. At the time of his death in 2001, the sport which he had established was being enjoyed by many riders around the world, and the International Mounted Games Association, which was formed in 2003, now has members in 24 countries on 5 continents.[
]
Games
There are many different games played in Mounted Games. These are split into team, pairs and individual games.
Participating nations
The member nations of the association are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales.[
]
World Team Championships
The IMGA World Team Championships are held each year in a different member country. At the first World Championships in 1985 only four teams participated, by 2007 this had grown to 18 and is expected to continue rising over the coming years.
Originally Great Britain participated as one team however from 2000 onwards this was split into England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland have always participated as a separate team.
References
{{Equestrian sports
Equestrian team sports
Sports originating in the United Kingdom