Tent Pegging
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Tent pegging (sometimes spelled tent-pegging or tentpegging) is a
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...
sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten
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 ...
disciplines officially recognised by the International Equestrian Federation. Used narrowly, the term refers to a specific mounted game with ground targets. More broadly, it refers to the entire class of mounted cavalry games involving pointed and edged weapons (lance and sword) on horseback, for which the term "equestrian skill-at-arms" is also used.


Origin

Cavaliers The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...
have practised the specific game of tent pegging since at least the fourth century BC,
Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...
n empires, spanning Asia and Europe, spread the game around the world. As a result, the game's date and location of origin are ambiguous. In all accounts, the competitive sport evolved out of cavalry training exercises designed to develop cavaliers' prowess with the sword and lance from horseback. However, whether tent pegging developed cavaliers' generic skills or prepared them for specific combat situations is unclear. According to the International Equestrian Federation, "most equestrian authorities are of the opinion that tent-pegging originated in the Indian subcontinent during the middle ages in the battlefields as a tactics used by the horsed cavalry against elephant mounted troops" A cavalier able to precisely stab the highly sensitive flesh behind an elephant's toenail would cause the enemy elephant to rear, unseat his mahout, and possibly run amok, breaking ranks and trampling
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
. The term "tent pegging" is certainly related to the idea that cavalry mounting a surprise pre-dawn raid on an enemy camp could use the tent-pegging skills to sever or uproot tent pegs, collapsing the tents on their sleeping occupants and sowing havoc and terror in the camp. However, there are few reliable accounts of a cavalry squadron ever employing such
tactics Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tact ...
. Because the specific game of tent-pegging is the most popular equestrian skill-at-arms game, the entire class of sports became known as tent-pegging during the twilight of cavalry in the twentieth century.


Essential rules

The specific game of tent pegging has a mounted horseman riding at a gallop and using a
sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
and/or a
lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...
to pierce, pick up, and carry away a small ground target (a symbolic tent peg) or a series of small ground targets. The broader class of tent pegging games also includes ring
jousting Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...
(in which a galloping rider tries to pass the point of his weapon through a suspended ring); lemon sticking (in which the rider tries to stab or slice a lemon suspended from a cord or sitting on a platform); quintain tilting (in which the rider charges a mannequin mounted on a swivelling or rocking pedestal); and mounted archery. A given tent pegging competition's rules specify the size and composition of the target; the number of consecutive targets placed on a course; the dimensions and weight of the sword and/or lance; the minimum time in which a course must be covered; and the extent to which a target must be struck, cut, or carried.


Contemporary sport

Today, tent pegging is practised around the world but is especially popular in Australia, India, Israel,
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The
Olympic Council of Asia The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. The current Acting President is Raja Randhir Singh, substituting Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah. The headquarters ...
included tent pegging as an official sport in 1982, and the International Federation for Equestrian Sports recognised it as an official equestrian discipline in 2004. From the results of the 2008 International Tent Pegging Championships, the world's three leading national teams are currently Canada, India, and
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
. Members of cavalry regiments and
mounted police Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. Their day-to-day function is typically picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and increasingly in t ...
forces remain dominant in world-class tent pegging. New and emerging national tent pegging associations have helped spread the sport's popularity. The Australian Royal Adelaide Show, the British Tent Pegging Association, and the United States Cavalry Association now hold annual national championships and demonstrations in their respective countries. The US TENT PEGGING ASSOCIATION (USTPA) is a not-for-profit organization registered in the state of New York and is the National Governing Body for the sport of tent pegging in the USA. USTPA is the premier equestrian sports body dedicated solely to the promotion and development of the equestrian sport of tent pegging across the U

In Pakistan tent pegging is also named ''neza bazi''. It is played in Punjab,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
and some parts of
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
and
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
, it is the unofficial provincial sport of
Balochistan, Pakistan Balochistan (; bal, بلۏچستان; ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southwestern region of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the least populated one. It shares land ...
. There are many clubs who have owned different and unique style of
Turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...
and
Waistcoat A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit), or vest ( US and Canada), is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. ...
to identify their clubs. People decorate their horses for the competition. Every club arranges a neza bazi competition. All clubs are invited to participate in the competition. There are some specific shows being arranged since many decades. National Horse and Cattle Show is one of them. It is held at the Fortress Stadium
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
every year usually in end of February or at first week of March. Tent pegging is a part of this event. Clubs from all the districts of Pakistan participates there. It is also popular with
British Pakistanis British Pakistanis ( ur, (Bratānia men maqīm pākstānī); also known as Pakistani British people or Pakistani Britons) are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in Pakistan. This includes people born in ...
. The pre-eminent tent pegging games remain centred in Asia and the Middle East, with th
International Tent Pegging Championships
and the continental
Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...
traditionally enjoying the highest number of competitors and participating states.


Governing bodies

The recognised international governing body of tent pegging is
International Tent Pegging Federation The International Tent Pegging Federation (ITPF, ar, الاتحاد الدولی لإلتقاط الأوتاد), formerly known as the World Tent Pegging Federation is the international governing body of the Equestrian discipline of tent pegging. ...
. The ITPF headquarters are located in
Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...
, Oman. It was founded as World Tent Pegging Federation in 2013 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, Pakistan, India and others renamed the World Tent Pegging Federation in 2014, and took up its current name in the same year. Essentially ITPF is very new and does and does not have full world recognition and not all countries which play tent pegging are its members. Also ITPF is the largest equestrian body in the world that recognizes and governs tent pegging competitions. Tent pegging being primarily a foreign game from the Indian subcontinent, and was faded from the equestrian sports map of the US. However, tent pegging was well known prior to the World War II in the continental US. As a need of present times, with tent pegging being played in many countries around the world
USTPF
came into existence as a national governing body for tent pegging and to promote tent pegging domestically and represent US internationally
USTPF
was formed in 2013 in the US. USTPF participated in many international events the 2016 and the US secured the place in the international tent pegging arena. The ITPF has 28 members: The ITPF is responsible for the organisation and governance of tent pegging's major international tournaments, notably the Tent Pegging World Cup. It also appoints the judges and referees that officiate at all matches and events. Each nation has a national federation which regulates Tent pegging events played in its country. The Tent pegging federation also selects the national squad and organizes home and away tours for the national team.


Members

The ITPF has 28 members countries in beginning. Following are the members of the federation, which include Oman, Pakistan,
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
, India, Nepal, Tentpegging Germany, British Tent Pegging Association, Australian Tentpegging Federation,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, Sweden, Norway,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, Netherlands Association for Mounted Skill-at-Arms 'Saint Georges' (NVBW),
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
,
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, Iraq, Egypt], Iranian Tentpegging Association, Canada,
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, and Denmark.


International Competitions

Since its formation the ITPF has organised several international competitions.


First Tent Pegging World Cup 2014

After the formation of the federation, the world body decided to launch their own World Cup competition. The first and the inaugural Tent Pegging World Cup was organised by the Oman Equestrian Federation (OEF) at Al Rahba Farm, Barka, Oman from 31 March to 4 April 2014. The participant countries were Pakistan, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, South Africa, Britain and Australia who qualified the Sudan and Pakistan qualifying events in January and February respectively. South Africa won the event by a total of 758.5 points and clinch the enviable honour of being the first world champions. Oman got second position with 693.5 points. Sudan, who finished with 654 points, took the third place.


International Championships & World Cup history

* The World Cup began in 2014


International and world championships

One of the first International tent Pegging Championships were held in the State of Hyderabad, India in 1985 with many International Teams participating under the aegis of Equestrian Federation of India (EFI). International and world championships are held among countries consisted on different number of teams. Venues are selected through negotiations. There are major events in tent pegging. Oman, South Africa, Pakistan, India, Australia, and the United Kingdom hosts the international championships regularly. Other countries also organize the events at different times.


2007 International Tent pegging Championship Oman

*The 2007 International Tent Pegging Championships were held in
Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...
,
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
. This event was rare of its kind as each continent was represented by a single national team: Europe by Britain, whose team came from the
Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment sta ...
and the
Royal Horse Artillery The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. (Although the cavalry link ...
; the Middle East by Oman, whose team came from the Royal Cavalry; Asia by Pakistan; Africa by South Africa, whose team had been selected from national civilian trials; the North America by Canada, the whose team was led by Akaash Maharaj and last year's champion, India, whose team came from multiple branches of their armed forces. * The Penta Grand (2010)- World Tent Pegging Championship Noida,India * The Penta Grand (2012)-World Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship, Noida India. World Tent Pegging Championship was hosted by India after almost 3 decades by Mr Ahmad Afsar the Global prime Promoter 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 i ...
Tent Pegging Discipline and made his mission to get Tent Pegging recognized in the World Stage. "
The Penta Grand ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
" 2012 was the first of its kind and saw participation of 11 countries. •The Penta Grand (2013)-World Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship, Gurugram India. "The Penta Grand" or The World Equestrian Tent Championship was held at
Tau Devi Lal Stadium Tau Devi Lal Stadium is a multi-purpose sports complex located in Gurgaon within the state of Haryana, India. The Tau Devi Lal Football Stadium has a capacity of 12,000 and the Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium has a capacity of 7,000. The site cu ...
,
Gurugram Gurgaon (pronunciation: ʊɽɡãːw, officially named Gurugram (pronunciation: ʊɾʊɡɾaːm, is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest of the nationa ...
.It was organized by Mr Ahmad Afsar with Equiwings Sports & Events Company under the Aegis of Equestrian Federation of India (EFI). It had a record number of participation of 17 countries.Because of the presence of officials of 17 countries Mr Ahmad Afsar called a meeting to form World Tent Pegging federation duly supported by Prince
Malik Ata Muhammad Khan Malik Ata Muhammad Khan (Urdu, pnb, , 25 October 1937 – 6 February 2020), popularly known as Prince Malik Ata was a Pakistani feudal lord and politician. He was the chief of Kot Fateh Khan in Attock District of North Western Punjab, Pakista ...
and all representatives of the 17 countries reached a consensus for the development of tent pegging which later shaped as
International Tent Pegging Federation The International Tent Pegging Federation (ITPF, ar, الاتحاد الدولی لإلتقاط الأوتاد), formerly known as the World Tent Pegging Federation is the international governing body of the Equestrian discipline of tent pegging. ...
. •The Penta Grand (2015)-Asian & International Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship(2015), New Delhi. The "Asian & International Tent Pegging Championship" 2015 was held at Gautam Budh University, Gr. Noida, New Delhi from 10 to 15 March 2015 by the Equiwings Sport & Events company. Sudan won the gold medal. The countries participated were
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
,
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
,
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, United States,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
and
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. In this edition of
The Penta Grand ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
2015, the Great Noida Horse show was also organised. It included an open competition for all riders of the country in 68 event disciplines including show jumping, tent pegging, endurance, hacks, and gymkhana events. Various categories for the participation of children were available in the gymkhana events. •The Penta Grand (2017)


Notable Tent Peggers

* George Gribble (1868–1947), He won the prize for 'tent pegging on horseback with a lance' at the main military tournament in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. Queen Victoria made the presentation of a silver cup, herself. He was awarded 28 points, with the next best competitor managing just 12. *
Malik Ata Muhammad Khan Malik Ata Muhammad Khan (Urdu, pnb, , 25 October 1937 – 6 February 2020), popularly known as Prince Malik Ata was a Pakistani feudal lord and politician. He was the chief of Kot Fateh Khan in Attock District of North Western Punjab, Pakista ...
(1941-2020), Pakistan, One of the founders of International Tent Pegging Federation. He served as first elected honorary president of the federation and then member of the executive committee to serve for four years. He also served as first President of the Equestrian & Tent Pegging Federation of Pakistan. He started participating in international tent pegging events in early 60s and this continued for whole of his life.


Popular culture references

In George McDonald Fraser's Flashman novels, title character Harry Flashman served in a lancer regiment, and frequently mentions tent pegging and his broader skills with the lance.


References


External links


International Tent Pegging Federation

United States Tent Pegging Association – USTPA

Australian Tentpegging Federation

British Tent Pegging Association

Canadian National Tent Pegging Team

Sussex Peggers Riding Club

Netherlands Association for Mounted Skill-at-Arms 'Saint Georges' (NVBW)

Iranian Tentpegging Association

Tentpegging Germany
{{Equestrian Sports Mounted games Individual sports Team sports FEI-recognized competition