1.
Monte Hermoso
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Monte Hermoso is a town located on the Atlantic coast of Argentina, some 100 km east of the city of Bahía Blanca, in the south of the Province of Buenos Aires. It is the seat of the partido of Monte Hermoso. The summer climate of Monte Hermoso is more temperate than that of other seaside resorts due to the sea breeze effect, while the water itself is warmer. Monte Hermoso owes its existence to the 1879 purchase of 4,000 seaside hectares by Esteban Dufaur, the settlement was established as such in 1975, and given autonomy on April 1,1979. Guided tours of the lighthouse are provided daily, Municipal information, Municipal Affairs Federal Institute, Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina. Official site Informative site Maps and information News Tourism Informative and commercial site Recalada Lighthouse Faro Recalada Rowlett, university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2.
Argentina
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Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a federal republic in the southern half of South America. With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2, Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the second largest in Latin America, and the largest Spanish-speaking one. The country is subdivided into provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system, Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The earliest recorded presence in the area of modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century, Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with waves of European immigration radically reshaping its cultural. The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to Argentina becoming the seventh wealthiest developed nation in the world by the early 20th century, Argentina retains its historic status as a middle power in international affairs, and is a prominent regional power in the Southern Cone and Latin America. Argentina has the second largest economy in South America, the third-largest in Latin America and is a member of the G-15 and it is the country with the second highest Human Development Index in Latin America with a rating of very high. Because of its stability, market size and growing high-tech sector, the description of the country by the word Argentina has to be found on a Venice map in 1536. In English the name Argentina probably comes from the Spanish language, however the naming itself is not Spanish, Argentina means in Italian of silver, silver coloured, probably borrowed from the Old French adjective argentine of silver > silver coloured already mentioned in the 12th century. The French word argentine is the form of argentin and derives of argent silver with the suffix -in. The Italian naming Argentina for the country implies Argentina Terra land of silver or Argentina costa coast of silver, in Italian, the adjective or the proper noun is often used in an autonomous way as a substantive and replaces it and it is said lArgentina. The name Argentina was probably first given by the Venitian and Genoese navigators, in Spanish and Portuguese, the words for silver are respectively plata and prata and of silver is said plateado and prateado. Argentina was first associated with the silver mountains legend, widespread among the first European explorers of the La Plata Basin. The first written use of the name in Spanish can be traced to La Argentina, a 1602 poem by Martín del Barco Centenera describing the region, the 1826 constitution included the first use of the name Argentine Republic in legal documents. The name Argentine Confederation was also used and was formalized in the Argentine Constitution of 1853. In 1860 a presidential decree settled the name as Argentine Republic
3.
Equestrianism
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Equestrianism, more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding, refers to the skill of riding, driving, steeplechasing or vaulting with horses. This broad description includes the use of horses for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises, Horses are trained and ridden for practical working purposes such as in police work or for controlling herd animals on a ranch. They are also used in sports including, but not limited to, dressage, endurance riding, eventing, reining, show jumping, tent pegging, vaulting, polo, horse racing, driving. Some popular forms of competition are grouped together at horse shows, Horses are used for non-competitive recreational riding such as fox hunting, trail riding or hacking. There is public access to trails in almost every part of the world, many parks, ranches. Horses are also used for therapeutic purposes, both in specialized paraequestrian competition as well as non-competitive riding to improve health and emotional development. Horses are also driven in harness racing, at shows and in other types of exhibition, historical reenactment or ceremony. In some parts of the world, they are used for practical purposes such as farming. Horses continue to be used in service, in traditional ceremonies, police and volunteer mounted patrols. Riding halls enable the training of horse and rider in all weathers as well as indoor competition riding, though there is controversy over the exact date horses were domesticated and when they were first ridden, the best estimate is that horses first were ridden approximately 3500 BC. Indirect evidence suggests that horses were ridden long before they were driven, however, the most unequivocal early archaeological evidence of equines put to working use was of horses being driven. Chariot burials about 2500 BC present the most direct evidence of horses used as working animals. In ancient times chariot warfare was followed by the use of war horses as light, the horse played an important role throughout human history all over the world, both in warfare and in peaceful pursuits such as transportation, trade and agriculture. Horses lived in North America, but died out at the end of the Ice Age, Horses were brought back to North America by European explorers, beginning with the second voyage of Columbus in 1493. Humans appear to have expressed a desire to know which horse were the fastest. Gambling on horse races appears to go hand-in hand with racing and has a history as well. Thoroughbreds have the pre-eminent reputation as a breed, but other breeds also race. Under saddle, Thoroughbred horse racing is the most popular form worldwide, in the UK, it is known as flat racing and is governed by the Jockey Club in the United Kingdom
4.
Team sport
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A team sport includes any sport which involves two or more players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in individuals are organized into opposing teams which compete to win. Examples are basketball, volleyball, water polo, handball, lacrosse, cricket, baseball, Team sports are practiced between opposing teams, where the players interact directly and simultaneously between them to achieve an objective. The objective generally involves teammates facilitating the movement of a ball or similar object in accordance with a set of rules, in order to score points. However, other types of team sports do not involve teammates facilitating the movement of a ball or similar item in accordance with a set of rules, for example, swimming, rowing, sailing, dragon boat racing, and track and field among others are also team sports. In other types of team sports there may not be a team or point scoring, for example. Instead of points scored against a team, the relative difficulty of the climb or walk is the measure of the achievement. In some sports where participants are entered by a team, they do not only compete against members of other teams, for example, motorsport, particularly Formula One. This process is known as team orders and although previously accepted was banned in Formula One between 2002 and 2010, after a controversy involving team orders at the 2010 German Grand Prix however, the regulation was removed as of the 2011 season. Organized sports in athletics, started in Greece in 796 BC, is recorded up to 393 BC and these games, which are Olympic games, were a form to test the skills of warriors, consisted of running, jumping or leaping, wrestling, and javelin throw. In the Bayankhongor Province of Mongolia cave paintings dating back to Neolithic age of 7000 BC depict a wrestling match surrounded by crowds, cave paintings of the Prehistoric times in Japan show a sport similar to sumo wrestling. In Wadi Sura, near Gilf Kebir in Libya, Neolithic in the cave of swimmers shows evidence of swimming in a rock painting, the name athletes is derived from Aethelius, the King of Elis in Olympia, Greece. Before the start of the gods were invoked by offering of mostly fruits. The winner of the race was crowned with a wreath of olive or laurel, in subsequent years monetary attractions were introduced as prize money. However, the practice of offering celery sticks is still in vogue in the 100 m sprint in the Olympics, the present pattern of Olympic Games is akin to the practice followed in the ancient days. The 200 m sprint is known in Greek as short foot race, the 400 m race is equivalent to two stades and called Diaulos in Greek. With the advent of computer gaming and the Internet, Esports which is in vogue for quite a few years was recorded in October 1972 as a video game. A Space war tournament was organized by Stanford University which was titled Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics with an offering of one-year subscription to Rolling Stone
5.
Ball
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A ball is a round object with various uses. It is used in games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit. Balls can also be used for activities, such as catch, marbles. Balls made from hard-wearing materials are used in engineering applications to very low friction bearings. Black-powder weapons use stone and metal balls as projectiles, although many types of balls are today made from rubber, this form was unknown outside the Americas until after the voyages of Columbus. The Spanish were the first Europeans to see bouncing rubber balls which were employed most notably in the Mesoamerican ballgame, balls used in various sports in other parts of the world prior to Columbus were made from other materials such as animal bladders or skins, stuffed with various materials. As balls are one of the most familiar spherical objects to humans, no Old English representative of any of these is known. If ball- was native in Germanic, it may have been a cognate with the Latin foll-is in sense of a blown up or inflated. In the later Middle English spelling balle the word coincided graphically with the French balle ball, French balle is assumed to be of Germanic origin, itself, however. In Ancient Greek the word πάλλα for ball is attested besides the word σφαίρα, a ball, as the essential feature in many forms of gameplay requiring physical exertion, must date from the very earliest times. A rolling object appeals not only to a baby but to a kitten. Some form of game with a ball is found portrayed on Egyptian monuments, in Homer, Nausicaa was playing at ball with her maidens when Odysseus first saw her in the land of the Phaeacians. And Halios and Laodamas performed before Alcinous and Odysseus with ball play, of regular rules for the playing of ball games, little trace remains, if there were any such. Pollux mentions a game called episkyros, which has often been looked on as the origin of football and it seems to have been played by two sides, arranged in lines, how far there was any form of goal seems uncertain. Among the Romans, ball games were looked upon as an adjunct to the bath, and were graduated to the age and health of the bathers and this was struck from player to player, who wore a kind of gauntlet on the arm. These games are known to us through the Romans, though the names are Greek, the various modern games played with a ball or balls and subject to rules are treated under their various names, such as polo, cricket, football, etc. Several sports use a ball in the shape of a prolate spheroid, Ball Buckminster Fullerene Football Kickball Marbles Penny floater Prisoner Ball Shuttlecock Super Ball
6.
Grass
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Poaceae or Gramineae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants known as grasses. Poaceae includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and cultivated lawns, Grasses have stems that are hollow except at the nodes and narrow alternate leaves borne in two ranks. The lower part of each leaf encloses the stem, forming a leaf-sheath, with ca 780 genera and around 12,000 species, Poaceae are the fifth-largest plant family, following the Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Fabaceae and Rubiaceae. Grasslands such as savannah and prairie grasses are dominant are estimated to constitute 40. 5% of the land area of the Earth, excluding Greenland. Grasses are also an important part of the vegetation in many habitats, including wetlands, forests. Though commonly called grasses, seagrasses, rushes, and sedges fall outside this family, the rushes and sedges are related to the Poaceae, being members of the order Poales, but the seagrasses are members of order Alismatales. The name Poaceae was given by John Hendley Barnhart in 1895, based on the tribe Poeae described in 1814 by Robert Brown, the term is derived from the Ancient Greek πόα. Grasses include some of the most versatile plant life-forms, a cladogram shows subfamilies and approximate species numbers in brackets, Before 2005, fossil findings indicated that grasses evolved around 55 million years ago. Recent findings of grass-like phytoliths in Cretaceous dinosaur coprolites have pushed this back to 66 million years ago. In 2011, revised dating of the origins of the rice tribe Oryzeae suggested a date as early as 107 to 129 Mya, a multituberculate mammal with grass-eating adaptations seems to suggest that grasses were already around at 120 mya. This separation occurred within the short time span of about 4 million years. Grass leaves are always alternate and distichous, and have parallel veins. Each leaf is differentiated into a lower sheath hugging the stem, the leaf blades of many grasses are hardened with silica phytoliths, which discourage grazing animals, some, such as sword grass, are sharp enough to cut human skin. A membranous appendage or fringe of hairs called the ligule lies at the junction between sheath and blade, preventing water or insects from penetrating into the sheath, flowers of Poaceae are characteristically arranged in spikelets, each having one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes, the part of the spikelet that bears the florets is called the rachilla. A spikelet consists of two bracts at the base, called glumes, followed by one or more florets, a floret consists of the flower surrounded by two bracts, one external—the lemma—and one internal—the palea. The flowers are usually hermaphroditic—maize being an important exception—and anemophilous or wind-pollinated, the perianth is reduced to two scales, called lodicules, that expand and contract to spread the lemma and palea, these are generally interpreted to be modified sepals. This complex structure can be seen in the image on the right, the fruit of grasses is a caryopsis, in which the seed coat is fused to the fruit wall
7.
Olympic Games
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The Olympic Games are considered the worlds foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure. The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in changes to the Olympic Games. The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, as a result, the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allowing participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship, World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916,1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games, the Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations, National Olympic Committees, and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, the IOC also determines the Olympic programme, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals, gold, silver, the Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to themselves to the world. The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat such as wrestling. It has been written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or truce and this idea is a modern myth because the Greeks never suspended their wars. The truce did allow those religious pilgrims who were travelling to Olympia to pass through warring territories unmolested because they were protected by Zeus
8.
Paralympic Games
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There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee, the Paralympics has grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sporting events by the early 21st century. Paralympians strive for equal treatment with non-disabled Olympic athletes, but there is a funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Given the wide variety of disabilities that Paralympic athletes have, there are categories in which the athletes compete. The allowable disabilities are broken down into ten eligible impairment types and these categories are further broken down into classifications, which vary from sport to sport. The first athlete to do so was German American gymnast George Eyser in 1904, hungarian Karoly Takacs competed in shooting events in both the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics. He was an amputee and could shoot left-handed. The first organized athletic day for disabled athletes that coincided with the Olympic Games took place on the day of the opening of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, the first games were called the 1948 International Wheelchair Games, and were intended to coincide with the 1948 Olympics. Dr. Guttmans aim was to create a sports competition for people with disabilities that would be equivalent to the Olympic Games. The games were again at the same location in 1952. These early competitions, also known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, have described as the precursors of the Paralympic Games. There have been milestones in the Paralympic movement. The first official Paralympic Games, no longer open solely to war veterans, was held in Rome in 1960,400 athletes from 23 countries competed at the 1960 Games. Since 1960, the Paralympic Games have taken place in the year as the Olympic Games. The Games were initially only to athletes in wheelchairs, at the 1976 Summer Games, athletes with different disabilities were included for the first time at a Summer Paralympics. With the inclusion of more disability classifications the 1976 Summer Games expanded to 1,600 athletes from 40 countries, the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea, was another milestone for the Paralympic movement. It was in Seoul that the Paralympic Summer Games were held directly after the Olympic Summer Games, in the same host city and this set a precedent that was followed in 1992,1996 and 2000. It was eventually formalized in an agreement between the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee in 2001, and was extended through 2020
9.
Polo
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Polo is a team sport played on horseback. The objective is to score goals against an opposing team, players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing teams goal using a long-handled mallet. The traditional sport of polo is played on a grass field up to 300 by 160 yards, each polo team consists of four riders and their mounts. Field polo is played with a plastic ball which has replaced the wooden version of the ball in much of the sport. In arena polo, only three players are required per team and the game involves more maneuvering and shorter plays at lower speeds due to space limitations of arenas. Arena polo is played with a small air-filled ball, similar to a small football, the modern game lasts roughly two hours and is divided into periods called chukkas. Polo is played professionally in 16 countries and it was formerly an Olympic sport. Its invention is dated variously from the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD, Persian Emperor Shapur II learnt to play polo when he was seven years old in 316 AD. The game was learnt by the neighbouring Byzantine Empire at an early date, a tzykanisterion was built by emperor Theodosius II inside the Great Palace of Constantinople. Emperor Basil I excelled at it, Emperor Alexander died from exhaustion while playing, naqsh-i Jahan Square in Isfahan is a polo field which was built by king Abbas I in the 17th century. Qutubuddin Aibak, the Turkic slave from Central Asia who later became the Sultan of Delhi in Northern India, ruled as a Sultan for only four years, from 1206 to 1210, but died accidentally in 1210. While he was playing a game of polo on horseback, his horse fell and he was buried near the Anarkali bazaar in Lahore. Aibaks son Aram died in 1211 CE, so Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, another ex-slave of Turkic ancestry who was married to Aibaks daughter, after the Muslim conquests to the Ayyubid and Mameluke dynasties of Egypt and the Levant, their elites favoured it above all other sports. Notable sultans such as Saladin and Baybars were known to play it, Polo sticks were features on the Mameluke precursor to modern day playing cards. Valuable for training cavalry, the game was played from Constantinople to Japan by the Middle Ages. It is known in the East as the Game of Kings, the name polo is said to have been derived from the Balti word pulu, meaning ball. The modern game of polo is derived from Manipur, India and it was the anglicised form of the last, referring to the wooden ball that was used, which was adopted by the sport in its slow spread to the west. The first polo club was established in the town of Silchar in Assam, India, the origins of the game in Manipur are traced to early precursors of Sagol Kangjei. This was one of three forms of hockey in Manipur, the ones being field hockey and wrestling-hockey
10.
Basketball
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Basketball is a non-contact team sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players each. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate and it is a violation to lift, or drag, ones pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The game has many techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coachs game plan, Basketball is one of the worlds most popular and widely viewed sports. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague, the FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for teams, like EuroBasket. The FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup features the top womens basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Womens Basketball Premier League, in early December 1891, Canadian Dr. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied, after rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and these laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith, dribbling was not part of the original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was the means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a part of the game around the 1950s
11.
Duck
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Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the waterfowl family Anatidae, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae, they do not represent a group but a form taxon, since swans. Ducks are mostly birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese. Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, gallinules and this word replaced Old English ened/ænid duck, possibly to avoid confusion with other Old English words, like ende end with similar forms. Other Germanic languages still have similar words for duck, for example, Dutch eend duck, the word ened/ænid was inherited from Proto-Indo-European, compare, Latin anas duck, Lithuanian ántis duck, Ancient Greek nēssa/nētta duck, and Sanskrit ātí water bird, among others. A duckling is a duck in downy plumage or baby duck. A male duck is called a drake and the female is called a duck, the overall body plan of ducks is elongated and broad, and the ducks are also relatively long-necked, albeit not as long-necked as the geese and swans. The body shape of diving ducks varies somewhat from this in being more rounded, the bill is usually broad and contains serrated lamellae, which are particularly well defined in the filter-feeding species. In the case of some fishing species the bill is long, the scaled legs are strong and well developed, and generally set far back on the body, more so in the highly aquatic species. The wings are strong and are generally short and pointed. Three species of duck are almost flightless, however. Many species of duck are temporarily flightless while moulting, they seek out protected habitat with good food supplies during this period, the drakes of northern species often have extravagant plumage, but that is moulted in summer to give a more female-like appearance, the eclipse plumage. The plumage of birds generally resembles that of the female. Over the course of evolution, female ducks have evolved to have a corkscrew shaped vagina to prevent rape, Ducks exploit a variety of food sources such as grasses, aquatic plants, fish, insects, small amphibians, worms, and small molluscs. Dabbling ducks feed on the surface of water or on land, along the edge of the beak there is a comb-like structure called a pecten. This strains the water squirting from the side of the beak, the pecten is also used to preen feathers and to hold slippery food items. Diving ducks and sea ducks forage deep underwater, to be able to submerge more easily, the diving ducks are heavier than dabbling ducks, and therefore have more difficulty taking off to fly. A few specialized species such as the mergansers are adapted to catch, to avoid injury when digging into sediment it has no cere, but the nostrils come out through hard horn
12.
Horse
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H. O. R. S. E. is a form of poker commonly played at the high-stakes tables of casinos. It consists of rounds of cycling among, Texas Hold em, Omaha hi-low split-eight or better, Razz, Seven card Stud. H. O. R. S. E. is a limit game, however, in some tournament situations, the final table is no-limit hold em. C. H. O. R. S. E adds Chowaha or Crazy Pineapple to the mix and this is convenient at such team events as BARGE, when it helps to have as many flop games as stud games. T. H. O. R. S. E. H. A. is another 8-Game Mix which includes more games than most other mixed poker games, pokerStars started offering this game in 2008. It consists of limit 2-7 Triple Draw, limit Texas hold em, limit Omaha Hi-Lo, limit Razz, limit Seven-card Stud, limit Seven card Stud Hi-Lo, no limit Texas hold em and pot limit Omaha. 10-Game, the latest variation on the poker games, overtook T. H. O. R. S. E. H. A. in the extent of its game inclusion. Full Tilt Poker also offers the 9-Game, which includes all poker variants from the 10-Game with the exception of Badugi, a 12 Game Mix has also been proposed as a variation and as an extension to the 10-Game mix. A13 Game Mix can also be constructed by adding No Limit Holdem to the games of the 12 Game Mix, made its debut at the World Series of Poker in 2002 with a $2,000 buy-in. John Hennigan won the event, earning $117,320, tournament made its debut at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Chip Reese won the event, earning $1,716,000 for first place, after Reese died at the end of 2007, the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy was created in his honor. The trophy is awarded to the winner of the $50,000 championship event since the 2008 World Series of Poker. The $50,000 buy-in tournament returned for the 2007 WSOP, the $50,000 event, which awarded $2,276,832 to first place, was won by professional player Freddy Deeb. Events with $2,500 and $5,000 buy-ins were also on the 2007 WSOP program, the 2008 $50,000 H. O. R. S. E event was won by Scotty Nguyen, who received $1,989,120 for his victory. This was also the first time that the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy had been awarded to the winner of the competition, event was won by David Bach, for $1,276,802. World Championship event was replaced by The Poker Players Championship, with an identical buy-in, event, the final table was no-limit hold em. Michael Mizrachi won the first Players Championship and with it the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, the 2010 WSOP also featured a new $10,000 H. O. R. S. E. Championship, joining already-existing events with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins
13.
Stirrup
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A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a stirrup leather. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and they greatly increase the riders ability to stay in the saddle and control the mount, increasing the animals usefulness to humans in areas such as communication, transportation and warfare. In antiquity, the earliest foot supports consisted of placing their feet under a girth or using a simple toe loop. Later, a single stirrup was used as a mounting aid, the stirrup was invented in China in the first few centuries C. E. and spread westward through the nomadic peoples of Central Eurasia. The use of paired stirrups is credited to the Chinese Jin Dynasty, some argue that the stirrup was one of the basic tools used to create and spread modern civilization, possibly as important as the wheel or printing press. Stirrups are safer to use when riding boots are worn, and proper sizing, the English word stirrup stems from Old English stirap, stigrap, Middle English stirop, styrope, i. e. a mounting or climbing-rope. From Old English stīgan to ascend, the stirrup, which gives greater stability to a rider, has been described as one of the most significant inventions in the history of warfare, prior to gunpowder. As a tool allowing expanded use of horses in warfare, the stirrup is often called the third step in equipment, after the chariot. The basic tactics of mounted warfare were significantly altered by the stirrup, a rider supported by stirrups was less likely to fall off while fighting, and could deliver a blow with a weapon that more fully employed the weight and momentum of horse and rider. Among other advantages, stirrups provided greater balance and support to the rider, contrary to common modern belief, however, it has been asserted that stirrups actually did not enable the horseman to use a lance more effectively, though the cantled saddle did. The earliest manifestation of the stirrup was a toe loop that held the big toe and was used in India late in the second century B. C. E, though may have appeared as early as 500 B. C. E. This ancient foot support consisted of a rope for the big toe which was at the bottom of a saddle made of fibre or leather. Such a configuration was suitable for the climate of south. Buddhist carvings in the temples of Sanchi, Mathura and the Bhaja caves dating back between the 1st and 2nd century B. C. E, figure horsemen riding with elaborate saddles with feet slipped under girths. In this regard archaeologist John Marshall described the Sanchi relief as the earliest example by some five centuries of the use of stirrups in any part of the world, later, a single stirrup was used as a mounting aid by a nomadic group known as the Sarmatians. The invention of the saddle tree allowed development of the true stirrup as it is known today. Without a solid tree, the weight in the stirrups creates abnormal pressure points. Modern thermography studies on treeless and flexible-tree saddle designs have found there is considerable friction across the center line of a horses back
14.
Saddle
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The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animals back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, today, modern saddles come in a wide variety of styles, each designed for a specific equestrianism discipline, and require careful fit to both the rider and the horse. Proper saddle care can extend the life of a saddle. The word saddle originates from the Proto-Germanic language *sathulaz, with cognates in various other Indo-European languages, there is evidence, though disputed, that humans first began riding the horse not long after domestication, possibly as early as 4000 BC. The earliest known saddle-like equipment were fringed cloths or pads used by Assyrian cavalry around 700 BC and these were held on with a girth or surcingle that included breast straps and cruppers. From the earliest depictions, saddles became status symbols and these were located in Pazyryk burials finds. These saddles, found in the Ukok Plateau, Siberia were dated to 500-400 BC, the Scythians also developed an early saddle that included padding and decorative embellishments. Though they had neither a solid tree nor stirrups, these early treeless saddles and pads provided protection and comfort to the rider, with a slight increase in security. The Sarmatians also used a padded treeless early saddle, possibly as early as the century, BC. Early solid-treed saddles were made of felt that covered a wooden frame, Asian designs appeared during the Han dynasty approximately 200 BC. One of the earliest solid-treed saddles in the west was the four horn design, the invention of the solid saddle tree also allowed development of the true stirrup as it is known today. Without a solid tree, the weight in the stirrups creates abnormal pressure points. Thermography studies on treeless and flexible tree saddle designs have found there is considerable friction across the center line of a horses back. The stirrup was one of the milestones in saddle development, the first stirrup-like object was invented in India in the 2nd century BC, and consisted of a simple leather strap in which the riders toe was placed. It offered very little support, however, the stirrup appeared to be in widespread use across China by 477 AD. which then spread to Europe. This invention gave great support for the rider, and was essential in later warfare, Saddles were improved upon during the Middle Ages, as knights needed saddles that were stronger and offered more support. The resulting saddle had a higher cantle and pommel and was built on a tree that supported more weight from a rider with armor. This saddle, a predecessor to the modern Western saddle, was padded with wool or horsehair
15.
Rein
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Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding or driving. Reins can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, reins are used to give subtle commands or cues, also known as rein aids. Various commands may signal a turn, ask for a slower speed, rein aids are used along with leg aids, shifting of body weight, and sometimes voice commands. On some types of harnesses there might be supporting rings or terrets used to carry the reins over the animals back, the driver carries four-in-hand or six-in-hand being the number of reins connecting to the pairs. A single rein or rope may be attached to a halter to lead or guide a horse or packhorse. A long rein called a line may be used to allow the horse to move in a circle for training purposes. On certain designs of headgear, a third rein may be added to the reins, used for leading, longeing. The best-known example of a third used in the USA is the leading rein of the mecate of the classic bosal hackamore. Types of reins include, Closed reins, or loop reins, reins that are either a piece or that buckle together at the ends. English riders usually use closed reins, western riders in timed rodeo events use a single closed rein, as do those who use a romal. A closed rein helps prevent the rider from dropping the reins, double reins, The combined use of two pairs of reins, a curb rein and a snaffle rein. This is usually two single reins, though sometimes split reins may be seen on western-style bridles, double reins are used with a double bridle, with bits such as the Pelham bit and, less often, on some gag bits used for polo. Draw reins and running reins, long reins, usually made of leather or nylon webbing, that attach to the saddle or the girth, run through the bit rings, and back to the rider. Several design variations, they add mechanical advantage to the riders hands, often used in conjunction with a snaffle rein by English riders, usually used alone by western riders. Lead rein, A third rein used on bridles, not to be confused with the lead rope of a halter nor the direct rein aid known as the leading rein. In North America a third rein is most commonly seen as part of the mecate of a hackamore, in Mongolia it is integral to the bridle, and tied to either a bit ring or a chin strap. Long reins, longlines, or driving lines, exceptionally long reins which allow the rider to control the horse from a cart, or from the ground, with the handler walking behind the horse. Mecate, a style of rein seen on a bosal style hackamore made of a piece of rope that encompasses both a closed rein and a leading rope
16.
Association football
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Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies making it the worlds most popular sport, the game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal, players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play, unless they are goalkeepers. Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, the team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, the Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football, the first written reference to the inflated ball used in the game was in the mid-14th century, Þe heued fro þe body went, Als it were a foteballe. The Online Etymology Dictionary states that the word soccer was split off in 1863, according to Partha Mazumdar, the term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as an Oxford -er abbreviation of the word association. Within the English-speaking world, association football is now usually called football in the United Kingdom and mainly soccer in Canada and the United States. People in Australia, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand use either or both terms, although national associations in Australia and New Zealand now primarily use football for the formal name. According to FIFA, the Chinese competitive game cuju is the earliest form of football for which there is scientific evidence, cuju players could use any part of the body apart from hands and the intent was kicking a ball through an opening into a net. It was remarkably similar to football, though similarities to rugby occurred. During the Han Dynasty, cuju games were standardised and rules were established, phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on a vase at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship Cup, athenaeus, writing in 228 AD, referenced the Roman ball game harpastum. Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence and they all appear to have resembled rugby football, wrestling and volleyball more than what is recognizable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football, the antecedent of all football codes. Non-competitive games included kemari in Japan, chuk-guk in Korea and woggabaliri in Australia, Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other games played around the world FIFA have recognised that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The modern rules of football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England
17.
Horseball
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Horseball is a game played on horseback where a ball is handled and points are scored by shooting it through a hoop with a diameter of 1m. The sport is like a combination of polo, rugby, and it is one of the ten disciplines officially recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. The sports predecessor, pato, originated in Argentina in the early 1700s and it was outlawed in 1790 due to high mortality among players. In 1941 the Federacion Argentina de Pato was created, in 1953 was declared as Argentinas national game. The name of the game derives from the use of a live duck instead of the six-handled ball which is used in the modern sport. The game as its known today, including the use of a instead of an animal, was defined in the 1930s. It gained success and has spread across Europe and overseas, the International Horseball Federation has eighteen members including eight outside of Europe, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Kyrgyzstan and Mexico. The basic rules involve a team of 4 players making a minimum of 3 passes between 3 different players of their team and then scoring a goal through a vertical hoop goal, the game is played on a soft, non slip surface, usually sand. The pitch is rectangular, approximately 65m x 25m, a match begins with a pick up, the rules for the first pick up are simple, the horse has to be cantering. In this situation, each rider must remain seated in the saddle, if both stay seated and the defender manages to keep hold of the ball for 3 seconds then their team earns a penalty. Simple tactics of the game involve the attacking team going towards goal crossing paths as this helps to manoeuvre the defence. Players can return home if they feel an attack is failing, when the ball is dropped or falls to the ground, anyone can pick it up so long as they are travelling in the same direction as play was when the ball was dropped. This is to avoid any riders coming head on whilst someone is picking up, whilst picking the ball up during the game the player must not come to a stand still. This is a teams tournament. There have been seventeen editions of this tournament with Saint-Lô2013, France is the only national team to have won this tournament, the Portuguese team has the most Silver, and Belgium the most Bronze. Currently the titles are, Gold for France, Silver for Spain, the European Lady Championship is the female only tournament, the first was in 2003 in Abano Terme 2003. There have been eight editions of this tournament with Saint-Lô2013, France is again the only national team to have won this tournament, tied for most silver are Belgium, Germany and Spain, and tied with the most bronze are Belgium, Great Britain and Spain. Currently the titles are, Gold for France, Silver for Spain, the European Under-16 Championship is the youth tournament with mixed-sex teams, the first was in 2004 in Lamotte-Beuvron 2004
18.
France
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
19.
Portugal
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Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, to the west and south it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north by Spain. The Portugal–Spain border is 1,214 kilometres long and considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union, the republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments. The territory of modern Portugal has been settled, invaded. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Carthaginians and the Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigothic, in 711 the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Moors, making Portugal part of Muslim Al Andalus. Portugal was born as result of the Christian Reconquista, and in 1139, Afonso Henriques was proclaimed King of Portugal, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the worlds major economic, political and military powers. Portugal monopolized the trade during this time, and the Portuguese Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia. After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was established, democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Shortly after, independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories, Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 million Portuguese speakers today. Portugal is a country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard. It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world, maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government and it has the 18th highest Social Progress in the world, putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France, Spain and Italy. Portugal is a pioneer when it comes to drug decriminalization, as the nation decriminalized the possession of all drugs for use in 2001. The early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula located in South Western Europe, the name of Portugal derives from the joined Romano-Celtic name Portus Cale. Other influences include some 5th-century vestiges of Alan settlements, which were found in Alenquer, Coimbra, the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by Neanderthals and then by Homo sapiens, who roamed the border-less region of the northern Iberian peninsula. These were subsistence societies that, although they did not establish prosperous settlements, neolithic Portugal experimented with domestication of herding animals, the raising of some cereal crops and fluvial or marine fishing. Chief among these tribes were the Calaicians or Gallaeci of Northern Portugal, the Lusitanians of central Portugal, the Celtici of Alentejo, a few small, semi-permanent, commercial coastal settlements were also founded in the Algarve region by Phoenicians-Carthaginians. Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC, during the last days of Julius Caesar, almost the entire peninsula had been annexed to the Roman Republic. The Carthaginians, Romes adversary in the Punic Wars, were expelled from their coastal colonies and it suffered a severe setback in 150 BC, when a rebellion began in the north
20.
The Wall Street Journal
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The Wall Street Journal is an American business-focused, English-language international daily newspaper based in New York City. The Journal, along with its Asian and European editions, is published six days a week by Dow Jones & Company, the newspaper is published in the broadsheet format and online. The Wall Street Journal is the largest newspaper in the United States by circulation, according to the Alliance for Audited Media, the Journal had a circulation of about 2.4 million copies as of March 2013, compared with USA Todays 1.7 million. The newspaper has won 39 Pulitzer Prizes through 2015 and derives its name from Wall Street in the heart of the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The Journal has been printed continuously since its inception on July 8,1889, by Charles Dow, Edward Jones, the Journal also publishes the luxury news and lifestyle magazine WSJ. They were later aggregated in a daily summary called the Customers Afternoon Letter. In 1896, The Dow Jones Industrial Average was officially launched and it was the first of several indices of stock and bond prices on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1899, the Journals Review & Outlook column, which still today, appeared for the first time. Journalist Clarence Barron purchased control of the company for US$130,000 in 1902, circulation was then around 7,000, Barron and his predecessors were credited with creating an atmosphere of fearless, independent financial reporting—a novelty in the early days of business journalism. In 1921, Barrons, Americas premier financial weekly, was founded, Barron died in 1928, a year before Black Tuesday, the stock market crash that greatly affected the Great Depression in the United States. Barrons descendants, the Bancroft family, would continue to control the company until 2007, the Journal took its modern shape and prominence in the 1940s, a time of industrial expansion for the United States and its financial institutions in New York. Bernard Kilgore was named managing editor of the paper in 1941, under Kilgore, in 1947, that the paper won its first Pulitzer Prize, for William Henry Grimess editorials. In 1970, Dow Jones bought the Ottaway newspaper chain, which at the time comprised nine dailies, later, the name was changed to Dow Jones Local Media Group. In 2007 News Corp. acquired Dow Jones, a luxury lifestyle magazine, was launched in 2008. A complement to the print newspaper, The Wall Street Journal Online, was launched in 1996, in 2003, Dow Jones began to integrate reporting of the Journals print and online subscribers together in Audit Bureau of Circulations statements. In 2007, it was believed to be the largest paid-subscription news site on the Web. Since then, online subscribership has fallen, due in part to rising subscription costs, in May 2008, an annual subscription to the online edition of The Wall Street Journal cost $119 for those who do not have subscriptions to the print edition. By June 2013, the monthly cost for a subscription to the edition was $22.99, or $275.88 annually
21.
Equitation
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Equitation is the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship. More specifically, equitation may refer to a position while mounted. In horse show competition, the rider, rather than the horse is evaluated, such classes go by different names, depending on region, including equitation classes, rider classes, or horsemanship classes. The performance of the horse is not judged per se, but a poorly performing horse is considered to reflect the ability of the rider, Equitation classes occur in the Hunt seat, Saddle seat, Dressage, and Western disciplines. In the United States, the largest organizer of equestrian competitions is the United States Equestrian Federation, the organization offers equitation classes at its recognized shows, including those in hunt seat, dressage seat, saddle seat, and Western. The hunt seat style of riding is derived from the hunt field and it is correct for the riders to have a light and steady contact with their horses mouth the entire ride. Incorrect leads, break of pace, and wrong diagonals are penalized, loss of a stirrup or dropping the reins are also faults, and may be cause for elimination. In over fences classes, the competitor rides over a course of at least six jumps. Equitation over fence classes rarely have fences higher than 3 feet 6 inches, classes for more accomplished riders may require at least one flying lead change, and one or more combinations. The rider is judged not only on position and effectiveness of riding aids and these championships and their qualifying classes may include bending lines, roll back turns, narrow fences, and fences with a long approach to test the rider. Fences must be at least 36 and may be up to 5 wide, the course may include liverpool or open water elements, depending on the class specifications. Equitation tests may be chosen by the judge to place the top riders. These tests are required in the medal classes, riders may also be asked to switch horses at higher levels of competition, such as at a national final. Switching of horses is no longer common at competitions, usually only championships. Today it is seen most often at horse shows organized for exhibitors of the American Saddlebred, Morgan, Arabian, Tennessee Walking Horse, and it is also sometimes seen in competition for Andalusian horses. There are open and breed-specific national championships as well as a championship held every other year. Gaits shown in Saddle Seat classes include the walk, trot, some competitions may call for extended gaits, particularly the trot. In some cases, breeds who can perform five gaits add equitation classes that require two additional gaits, the gait and rack. All classes require Rail work, where competitors show and are judged as a group going both ways of the arena, Saddle seat equitation may include individual tests or a pattern to be ridden
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International Federation for Equestrian Sports
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The International Federation for Equestrian Sports is the international governing body of equestrian sports. The FEI headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, an FEI code of conduct protects the welfare of the horses from physical abuse or doping. Jumping, Dressage and Eventing have been a part of the Olympics since 1912, para-Equestrian Dressage has been part of the Paralympic games since 1996. The FEI has organized the FEI World Equestrian Games every four years since 1990, the idea of the World Equestrian Games came into being in the mid-1980s and was strongly supported by HRH Prince Philip, who was then FEI President. The WEG encompasses the World Championship titles in all the FEI global disciplines, the FEI World Cup is an indoor series and takes place throughout the world with qualifying leagues leading to a final in each of the disciplines. The FEI World Cup series began with Show jumping in 1978 and has since extended to the disciplines of Dressage. Today, there are 134 National Equestrian Federations affiliated with the FEI, there have been 13 different presidents of the organization. Major Jhkr Karl F. Quarles van Ufford is the individual to have served twice. Nowadays, a President can serve for a maximum of two terms, since 2014, the President of the FEI is Ingmar De Vos from Belgium. Official website FEI TV, Official Video Website Official Facebook Page
23.
Equestrian at the Summer Olympics
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Equestrianism made its Summer Olympics debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It disappeared until 1912, but has appeared at every Summer Olympic Games since, the current Olympic equestrian disciplines are Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping. In each discipline, both individual and team medals are awarded, women and men compete together on equal terms. Equestrian disciplines and the component of Modern Pentathlon are also the only Olympic events that involve animals. The horse is considered as much an athlete as the rider, the International Governing Body for equestrian sports is the Fédération Équestre Internationale. The 1924 Olympics were the first at which equestrian competitions were held under the authority of the FEI, equestrian events were first held at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, although it did not include any of the disciplines seen today. There were 4 different equestrian events, the polo competition consisted of 4 teams made up of players from Britain, France, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Grand Prix Jumping, which was similar to show jumping event, for which 45 competitors entered. The first and second place was taken by riders from Belgium, while a French rider, Louis de Champsavin, on his mount Terpsichore, got the third place. However, Constant van Langendonck and Extra Dry were able to clinch the gold in the Long Jump competition, clearing a distance of 6.10 meters. Trissino and Oreste won the silver, clearing 5.70 meters, equestrian competition was dropped from the 1904 Olympic Games, and owed its return to Count Clarence von Rosen, Master of the Horse to the King of Sweden, for bringing it back. The 1906 IOC Congress agreed to his proposal to add dressage, eventing, however, due to problems with the newly formed International Horse Show Committee, they were not introduced until the 1912 Games in Stockholm and only a polo event was held in 1908. These three disciplines would be held at every Summer Olympic Games through to the present day, in 1952, however, all men were permitted to compete in all equestrian disciplines, and women were permitted to compete in Dressage. Women were later permitted to compete in Jumping in 1956 and in Eventing in 1964, since then, equestrianism has been one of the very few Olympic sports in which men and women compete with and directly against one another. Following the 1900 Olympic Games, polo would be held an additional 4 times, at the 1908 London Games, the 1920 Antwerp Games, the 1924 Paris Games, the 1908 Olympics had just 3 polo teams, all representing Great Britain. The 1920 Games included a team from Belgium, Great Britain, Spain, and it was not until 1924, after Argentina sent a team to Paris, that the gold changed hands. Argentina also won gold at the 1936 Olympic Games, vaulting was only held once, at the 1920 Antwerp Games. Vaulting included both a team and a competition, with the entrants having to perform movements at the canter and at the halt
24.
Dressage
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Dressage is a highly skilled form of riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the Olympic Games, at the peak of a dressage horses gymnastic development, the horse responds smoothly to a skilled riders minimal aids. The rider is relaxed and appears effort-free while the horse performs the requested movement. The discipline has a history with ancient roots in the writings of Xenophon. Much about training systems used today reflects practices of classical dressage, in modern dressage competition, successful training at the various levels is demonstrated through the performance of tests, prescribed series of movements ridden within a standard arena. A score of 9 is very good and is a high mark, all riding horses can benefit from use of dressage principles and training techniques. The most popular horse breeds seen at the Olympics and other international FEI competitions are warmblood horses bred for dressage, in classical dressage training and performances that involve the airs above the ground, the baroque breeds of horses are popular and purposely bred for these specialties. There are two sizes of arenas, small and standard, each has letters assigned to positions around the arena for dressage tests to specify where movements are to be performed. Cones with letters on them are positioned on the sidelines of the arena for reference as to where a movement is to be performed. The small arena is 20 by 40 m and is used for the levels of eventing in the dressage phase. Its letters around the edge, starting from the point of entry. Letters also mark locations along the line in the middle of the arena. Moving down the line from A, they are D-X-G. The standard arena is 20 by 60 m, and is used for tests in both dressage and eventing. The standard dressage arena letters are A-K-V-E-S-H-C-M-R-B-P-F, the letters on the long sides of the arena, nearest the corners, are 6 m in from the corners, and are 12 m apart from each other. The letters along the line are D-L-X-I-G, with X again being halfway down the arena. There is speculation as to why these letters were chosen, most commonly it is believed because the German cavalry had a 20 × 60-meter area in-between the barracks which had the letters posted above the doors. At the start of the test, the horse enters the arena at an opening at A, ideally this opening is then closed for the duration of the test, however, this is not always logistically possible, particularly at smaller competitions with few volunteers
25.
Eventing
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Eventing is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combination compete against other combinations across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding, Eventing was previously known as Combined Training, and the name persists in many smaller organizations. The term Combined Training is sometimes confused with the term Combined Test which refers to a combination of just two of the phases, most commonly dressage and show jumping. Eventing is a triathlon, in that it combines three different disciplines in one competition set out over one, two, or three days, depending on the length of courses and number of entries. This sport follows a format in Australia, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom. The test is judged by one or more judges who are looking for balance, rhythm, suppleness, and most importantly, obedience of the horse and its harmony with the rider. The challenge is to demonstrate that a fit horse, capable of completing the cross country phase on time, also has the training to perform in a graceful, relaxed. The tests may not ask for Grand Prix movements such as piaffe or passage, therefore, if one movement is poorly executed, it is still possible for the rider to get a good overall score if the remaining movements are very well executed. The marks are added together and any errors of course deducted, if all four feet of the horse exit the arena during the test, this results in elimination. If the horse more than 20 seconds during the test. This phase consists of approximately 12–20 fences, or 30–40 at the higher levels, sometimes, particularly at higher levels, fences are designed that would not normally occur in nature. However, these are designed to be as solid as more natural obstacles. Safety regulations mean that some obstacles are now being built with a frangible pin system, speed is also a factor, with the rider required to cross the finish line within a certain time frame. Crossing the finish line after the optimum time results in penalties for each second over, at lower levels, there is also a speed fault time, where penalties are incurred for horse and rider pairs completing the course too quickly. For every disobedience a horse and rider incur on course, penalties will be added to their dressage score, after four disobediences altogether or three disobediences at one fence the pair is eliminated, meaning they can no longer participate in the competition. A horse and rider pair can also be eliminated for going off course, if the horses shoulder and hind-quarter touch the ground, mandatory retirement is taken and they are not allowed to participate further in the competition. If the rider falls off the horse they are eliminated, however, in the US this rule is currently being revised for the Novice level and below. The penalties for disobediences on cross country are weighted relative to the other phases of competition to emphasize the importance of courage, endurance
26.
Show jumping
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Show jumping, also known as stadium jumping, open jumping, or simply jumping, is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are seen at horse shows throughout the world. International competitions are governed by the rules of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, Show jumping events have hunter classes, jumper classes and hunt seat equitation classes. Hunters are judged subjectively on the degree to which they meet a standard of manners, style. Jumper courses tend to be more complex and technical than hunter courses because riders. Courses often are colorful and at times, quite creatively designed, hunters have meticulous turnout and tend toward very quiet, conservative horse tack and rider attire. Hunter bits, bridles, crops, spurs, and martingales are tightly regulated, formal turnout always is preferred, a neat rider gives a good impression at shows. In addition to hunters and jumpers, there are classes, sometimes called hunt seat equitation. The equipment, clothing, and fence styles used in more closely resemble hunter classes. Jumper classes are held over a course of show jumping obstacles, including verticals, spreads, the intent is to jump cleanly over a set course within an allotted time. Time faults are assessed for exceeding the time allowance, Jumping faults are incurred for knockdowns and blatant disobedience, such as refusals. Horses are allowed a number of refusals before being disqualified. A refusal may lead to a rider exceeding the time allowed on course, placings are based on the lowest number of points or faults accumulated. A horse and rider who have not accumulated any jumping faults or penalty points are said to have scored a clear round. Tied entries usually have a jump-off over a raised and shortened course, and the course is timed, if entries are tied for faults accumulated in the jump-off, the fastest time wins. In most competitions, riders are allowed to walk the initial course, going off course will cost time if minor errors are made and major departures will result in disqualification. The higher levels of competition, such as A or AA rated shows in the United States, or the international Grand Prix circuit, present more technical and complex courses. Not only is the height and width of an obstacle increased to present a challenge, technical difficulty also increases with tighter turns
27.
Combined driving
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Combined driving is an equestrian sport involving carriage driving. In this discipline, the driver sits on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, the sport has three phases, dressage, cross-country marathon and obstacle cone driving, and is most similar to the mounted equestrian sport of eventing. It is one of the ten international equestrian sport horse disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the FEI classification system denotes driving competitions as Concours dAttelage, which may be either National or International. A National Event is limited to competitors of that nation, who take part according to the regulations of their National Federation. Foreign athletes may take part by invitation, an International Event must be organised under the FEI Statutes, General Regulations and Sport Rules, and may be open to competitors of all NFs. CAIs are primarily for individual athletes, however, at World Championships, competitions for national teams of three or four members run concurrently with the individual competition. There are two categories of international competitions – CAI-A and CAI-B, the CAI-A category denotes a higher level of organisation and facilities provided. Normally, it is assumed that a CA classified competition is for horses, if pony classes are involved, the letter P is added to the classification. Numbers denote the arrangement of horses in the class, World championships are denoted as Championnat du Monde Attelage. There are three World Championships for horses – Singles, Pairs and Four-in-Hand and these are held every two years, with Single Horse and Four-in-Hand Championships in an even-numbered year and Horse Pairs every odd year. In addition, a World Combined Pony Championships are held every odd-numbered year, FEI World Cup Driving, is a series of competitions for four-in-hand horse teams. Introduced in 2001, it provides a style of competition which takes place in an indoor arena. The course combines marathon and cone driving obstacles, five or six drivers, each with a team of four horses take turns to drive the course against the clock. World Cup Driving events are classified as CAI-W and take place throughout the winter months, competitions for drivers with disabilities are classified as CPEAI and the championships are held in every odd-numbered year. At the National level the sport is governed by each countrys National Federation, sometimes through a body, which will have rules based on the FEI Rulebook. Most countries hold their own National Championships, most people will start driving by joining a local organisation or club, who organise training sessions and one- or two-day competitions. Keen drivers can qualify to take part in events from which they may put themselves forward to be selected to represent their country at international competitions or World Championships. Because a driver needs a groom, its possible to take part as such
28.
Endurance riding
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Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international recognized by the FEI. There are two types of long-distance riding, competitive trail riding and endurance rides. In the United States, most endurance rides are either 50 or 100 miles long, shorter rides, called Limited Distance rides, are organized for new riders to the sport or young horses being trained. However, LDs have evolved into a competition of their own, in more experienced riders. There are also longer, usually multi-day, rides as well, as with human marathon running, many riders will participate to improve their horses personal best performance and consider finishing the distance with a proper vet completion record to be a win. In the USA, the American Endurance Ride Conference sanctions endurance rides, in the UK, Endurance GB is the governing body. Winning riders can complete 100-mile rides in 14 to 15 hours, any breed can compete, but the Arabian generally dominates the top levels because of the breeds stamina and natural endurance abilities. Endurance rides and races can be any distance, though they are rarely over 160 km for a one-day competition. Organized endurance riding as a sport began in 1955, when Wendell Robie. They followed the historic Western States Trail and this ride soon became known as the Tevis Cup, and it remains the most difficult of any 100-mile ride in the world because of the severe terrain, high altitude, and 100-degree temperatures. Endurance riding first was brought to Europe in the 1960s, before the ride, horses are inspected by a veterinarian to ensure they are fit to perform in the ride. Riders may be given a map or GPS waypoints for the course, which shows the route, the places for compulsory halts, the trails frequently are marked with colored surveyors tape ribbons at regular intervals with additional ribbons or small arrow markers at turns in the trail. The ride is divided into sections, with different names, depending on sanctioning organization, after each section, horses are stopped for a veterinary inspection, where they are checked for soundness and dehydration, with their pulse and respiration taken. The riders time keeps running until their horses reach the required target, any horse deemed unfit to continue is eliminated from further competition. After the veterinary inspection, the horse must be held for a hold time. If the veterinary inspection is on the rather than at base camp, ride management usually delivers to the inspection location a cache of riders personal gear, food. While riders may compete without additional aid, sometimes referred to as riding cavalry, in upper level competition this is particularly important to efficiently prepare the horse for the vet as well as care of both horse and rider during the mandatory hold times
29.
Reining
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Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope, or the gallop, the horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. Cattle were moved, branded, doctored, sorted, and herded, often on open range without the benefit of fences, a good cowboy needed a quick and nimble horse, one that could change directions quickly, stop on a dime, and sprint after an errant cow. Other nations with traditions of herding livestock on vast areas, such as Australia and Argentina, the reining pattern includes an average of eight to twelve movements which must be executed by the horse. Patterns require the following movements, Circles, the horse must perform large, fast circles at a near-gallop and smaller and they should be perfectly round, with the rider dictating the pace of the horse. There should be an easily seen change of speed as the rider transitions from the large, fast to the small, most circles incorporate changes of direction that require a flying change of lead. Flying lead change, the horse changes its leading front and hind legs at the lope mid-stride, the horse should not break gait nor change speed. Rundown, the horse gallops or runs along the side of the arena. A rundown is a required movement prior to a sliding stop, the back should be raised upward and hindquarters come well underneath. A particularly powerful stop may, depending on conditions, produce flying dirt. The movement should finish in a line, and the horses position should not change. This movement is a favorite, along with spins. Back or Backup, the backs up quickly for at least 10 feet. The horse must back in a straight line, stop when asked. It is judged on how quick, smooth and straight the line is, rollback, the horse immediately, without hesitation, performs a 180-degree turn after halting from a sliding stop, and immediately goes forward again into a lope. The horse must turn on its hindquarters, bringing its hocks well under, spins or Turnarounds, beginning from a standstill, the horse spins 360 degrees or more in place around its stationary inside hind leg. The hind pivot foot remains in essentially the same throughout the spin, though the horse will pick it up. Spins are judged on correctness, smoothness, and cadence, speed adds to the difficulty and will improve the score of a correctly done spin
30.
Tent pegging
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Tent pegging is a cavalry sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines officially recognised by the International Equestrian Federation. Used narrowly, the term refers to a mounted game with ground targets. More broadly, it refers to the class of mounted cavalry games involving edged weapons on horseback. Cavaliers have practised the specific game of tent pegging since at least the 4th century BC, as a result, the games date and location of origin are ambiguous. In all accounts, the sport evolved out of cavalry training exercises designed to develop cavaliers prowess with the sword. However, whether tent pegging developed cavaliers generic skills or prepared them for combat situations is unclear. However, other sources suggest that the sport originated earlier in Central Asia or the Middle East and was later on popularised in India. However, there are few accounts of a cavalry squadron ever employing such tactics. The specific game of tent pegging has a mounted horseman riding at a gallop and using a sword or a lance to pierce, pick up, the broader class of tent pegging games also includes ring jousting, lemon sticking, quintain tilting, and Parthian archery. Today, tent pegging is practised around the world, but is popular in Australia, India, Israel, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa. The Olympic Council of Asia included tent pegging as a sport in 1982. From the results of the 2008 International Tent Pegging Championships, the three leading national teams are currently Canada, India, and Oman. Members of cavalry regiments and mounted police forces remain dominant in world-class tent pegging, the United States Tent Pegging Federation is working on introducing tent pegging on the sidelines of polo in the United States. In late 1990s, many efforts were mostly solo efforts by individuals like H. E Prince Malik Ata Khan and Maharaja of Dunlod. EFI tent pegging pioneers provided much encouragement to export tent pegging to the USA, also H. E Prince Malik Ata Khan, the icon of modern-day tent pegging supported the idea of formation of a Tent Pegging as an organized sport in the USA. All of their thrust was to establish an organization in the United States so that USA could represent itself on the international front, at present the USTPF, working hard to promote Tent Pegging in the USA. The promotion efforts include two Tent Pegging Training Clinics initiated in October 2014 and June 2015 to compete in the international Arena, the USTPF was recognized by the USEF as Alliance Partner in 2015 and an NGB for Tent Pegging in the USA. The USEF granted the Alliance Partnership to the USTPF with permanent Alliance Partnership number 5347848, New and emerging national tent pegging associations have helped spread the sports popularity
31.
Equestrian vaulting
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Equestrian vaulting, or simply Vaulting, is most often described as gymnastics and dance on horseback, which can be practiced both competitively or non-competitively. Vaulting has a history as an act at circuses. It is open to men and women, and is one of ten equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Therapeutic or interactive vaulting is also used as an activity for children and adults who may have balance, attention, gross motor skill, vaultings enthusiasts are concentrated in Europe and other parts of the Western world. It is well established in Germany and Switzerland and is growing in other western countries, Vaulting was first introduced in the United States in the 1950s and 60s but was limited only to California and other areas of the west coast. More recently, it is beginning to gain popularity in the United States northeast and it is believed by some that the origins of vaulting could be traced to the ancient Roman games, where acrobats usually displayed their skills on cantering horses. Others, however, believe that vaulting originated in ancient Crete, in either case, people have been performing acrobatic and dance-like movements on the backs of moving horses/animals for more than 2,000 years. Renaissance and Middle Ages history include numerous references to vaulting or similar activities, the present name of the sport/art comes from the French la voltige, which it acquired during the Renaissance, when it was a form of riding drill and agility exercise for cavalry riders. Modern vaulting developed in post-war Germany as an initiative to introduce children to equestrian sports, in 1983, vaulting became one of the disciplines recognized by the FEI. European championships were first held in Ebreichsdorf, Austria in 1984, Vaulting was included in the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm in 1990 and in all subsequent editions of the games. It was demonstrated as an art during the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games events and it has been included in the Inter-Africa Cup since 2006. The first World Cup Vaulting competition was held in Leipzig on 29–30 April 2011, in competitive vaulting, vaulters compete as individuals, pairs, and teams. Beginning vaulters compete at the walk or trot while experienced vaulters compete at the canter, the vaulting horse moves in a 15-metre circle and is directed by a lunger who stands in the center. In competitive vaulting, the rider will first be judged on a score from 1 to 10, if two competitors tie, then the horse is judged. Vaulting competitions consist of compulsory exercises and choreographed freestyle exercises done to music, there are seven compulsory exercises, mount, basic seat, flag, mill, scissors, stand and flank. Each exercise is scored on a scale from 0 to 10, horses also receive a score and are judged on the quality of their movement as well as their behavior. Vaulters compete in team and individual freestyles, an individual Kur is a 1-minute freestyle and team is 4 minutes. They are both choreographed to music, the components of a freestyle vaulting routine may include mounts and dismounts, handstands, kneeling and standing and aerial moves such jumps, leaps and tumbling skills
32.
Para-equestrian
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The other is para-equestrian driving, which operates under the same basic rules as combined driving but places competitors in various grades based on their functional abilities. The first official Paralympic Games was held in Rome in 1960, the Games were initially open only to athletes in wheelchairs, at the 1976 Summer Games, athletes with different disabilities were included for the first time at a Summer Paralympics. Competitors with cerebral palsy classifications were allowed to compete at the Paralympic games for the first time at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, para-equestrian dressage was added to the Paralympic Games program at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. The FEI brought para-equestrian sport under its umbrella in 2006, riders with physical disabilities may compete on the same team as people with vision impairment. There are two separate para-equestrian events sanctioned by FEI, the governing body. Dressage events include Walk Only Tests for Grade 1 and Walk, the dressage events open to Grade 3 classification included Walk and Trot but Canter allowed in Freestyle. The dressage events open to Grade 4 classification included Walk, Trot and Canter, in these three grades, participants use a 40 x 20 metre arena. The dressage events open to Grade 5 classification included Walk, Trot, Canter, Canter Half-Pirouettes,3 and 4 sequence changes, at Grade 5 participants move up to the 60 x 20 metre arena. All class events are mixed gendered, for national team competitions such as the Paralympics, each team consists of three riders, one of whom must be a Grade 1, Grade 2 or Grade 3 rider. As of 2012, people with physical and visual disabilities are eligible to compete, the other para-equestrian event is para-driving. It was previously called Carriage Driving, all class events are mixed gendered. The sport is the one with one of the highest rates of injury, for this reason, much of the equipment for the sport is developed with this in mind. Much of the equipment uses Velcro and rubber bands so that things can easily breakaway, there is also a constant balance in developing equipment for para-equestrian to assure that the rider remains in control, and that they are not dragged along by the horse. One of the made to saddles for para-equestrian is extra padding. One of the companies that specializes in making saddles for people with disabilities is Superacor, in addition to saddles, para-equestrian riders may use some other form of padding such as a fleece covering for the saddle. Para-equestrian competitors have both a class and a disability profile number, the profile number impacts which equipment a rider can use, with equipment differences existing in the same class. The Paralympic games host a para-equestrian dressage competition, and have done so since 1996, the Paralympic Games are the second largest equestrian event in the world, only behind the Olympic Games. It is the sport on the Paralympic program that includes a live animal
33.
Horse racing
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Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys or driven over a set distance for competition. Horse races vary widely in format, often, countries have developed their own particular horse racing traditions. Variations include restricting races to particular breeds, running over obstacles, running over different distances, running on different track surfaces, Horse racing has a long and distinguished history and has been practised in civilisations across the world since ancient times. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in Ancient Greece, Babylon, Syria and it also plays an important part of myth and legend, such as the contest between the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. Chariot racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman, both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC and were important in the other Panhellenic Games. This was despite the fact that racing was often dangerous to both driver and horse as they frequently suffered serious injury and even death. In the Roman Empire, chariot and mounted horse racing were major industries, fifteen to 20 riderless horses, originally imported from the Barbary Coast of North Africa, ran the length of the Via del Corso, a long, straight city street, in about 2½ minutes. In later times, Thoroughbred racing became, and remains, popular with the aristocrats and royalty of British society, historically, equestrians honed their skills through games and races. Equestrian sports provided entertainment for crowds and honed the excellent horsemanship that was needed in battle, Horse racing of all types evolved from impromptu competitions between riders or drivers. The various forms of competition, requiring demanding and specialized skills from both horse and rider, resulted in the development of specialized breeds and equipment for each sport. The popularity of sports through the centuries has resulted in the preservation of skills that would otherwise have disappeared after horses stopped being used in combat. There are many different types of racing, including, Flat racing. Jump racing, or Jumps racing, also known as Steeplechasing or, in the UK and Ireland, National Hunt racing, Harness racing, where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a sulky. Breeds that are used for flat racing include the Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian, Paint, Jump racing breeds include the Thoroughbred and AQPS. In harness racing, Standardbreds are used in Australia, New Zealand and North America, light cold blood horses, such as Finnhorses and Scandinavian coldblood trotter are also used in harness racing within their respective geographical areas. There also are races for ponies, both flat and jump and harness racing, Flat racing is the most common form of racing seen worldwide. Track surfaces vary, with turf most common in Europe, dirt more common in North America and Asia, individual flat races are run over distances ranging from 440 yards up to two and a half miles, with distances between five and twelve furlongs being most common. Short races are referred to as sprints, while longer races are known as routes in the United States or staying races in Europe
34.
Harness racing
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Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait. They usually pull a cart called a sulky, although in Europe racing under saddle is also conducted. Orlov trotters race separately in Russia, the light cold-blooded Coldblood trotters and Finnhorses race separately in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Today, most harness races are won by Standardbreds who post times of 2 minutes or less, the horses have proportionally shorter legs than Thoroughbreds, and longer bodies. Standardbreds generally have a placid disposition, due to the admixture of non-Thoroughbred blood in the breed. The founding sire of todays Standardbred horse was Messenger, a gray Thoroughbred brought to America in 1788 and purchased by Henry Astor, from Messenger came a great-grandson, Hambletonian 10, who gained a wide following for his racing prowess. However, it is his line for which he is most remembered. The lineage of virtually all North American Standardbred race horses can be traced from four of Hambletonian 10 sons, races can be conducted in two differing gaits – trotting and pacing. The difference is that a trotter moves its legs forward in diagonal pairs, in continental Europe, races are conducted exclusively among trotters, whereas in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States races are also held for pacers. Pacing races constitute 80% to 90% of the harness races conducted in North America, Pacing horses are faster and less likely to break stride. One of the reasons pacers are less likely to break stride is that they often wear hobbles, the belief that hobbles are used to create this gait is a common misunderstanding. The pace is a natural gait for many horses, and hobbles are an aid in supporting the gait at top speed, most harness races start from behind a motorized starting gate. The horses line up behind a slow-moving, hinged gate mounted on a motor vehicle, at the line, the wings of the gate are folded up and the vehicle accelerates away from the horses. This enables handicaps to be placed on horses with several tapes, many European – and some Australian and New Zealand – races use a standing start. The sulky is a light, two-wheeled cart equipped with bicycle wheels, the driver carries a light whip chiefly used to signal the horse by tapping and to make noise by striking the sulky shaft. There are strict rules as to how and how much the whip may be used, in some jurisdictions, for exercising or training, the drivers use what is known as a jog cart, which is a sulky that is heavier and bulkier than a racing unit. The Prix dAmérique is considered to be the number-one trotting race in the world and it is held annually at the gigantic Vincennes hippodrome in eastern Paris late in January. The purse for the race in 2016 is 1 million euros, the horses are entered in the race based on life-time earnings, unless they have qualified by performing well in the preceding six qualifying races
35.
Point to point (steeplechase)
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A point-to-point is a form of horseracing over fences for hunting horses and amateur riders. In Ireland, where the sport is open to licensed - i. e. professional - trainers, many of the horses will appear in these races before they compete in National Hunt races. Consequently, the Irish point-to-point is more used as a nursery for young stars. Whilst professional trainers are specifically excluded from running horses in point-to-points in Great Britain, increasingly, horses are run from livery yards - unlicensed but otherwise professional training establishments, sometimes closely allied with a licensed yard. Horses running in Point-to-Points must be Thoroughbreds, save in the case of Hunt Members races, the owner must be a member, subscriber or farmer of a recognized pack of Hounds and obtain a Hunter Certificate from the Master to that effect. Similarly, potential riders must also obtain a Riders Qualification Certificate from a Hunt Secretary, Point-to-Point racing is also sometimes referred to as racing between the flags. The first Steeplechase ever was run locally between Buttevant and Doneraile, County Cork, over 250 years ago, by keeping the steeple of the church in sight both riders could see their finishing point. The first traceable use of the phrase point-to-point in connection with a race is in Bells Life on 10 January 1874. A race is described that took place on the 2 January from Sutton-on-the-Forest to Brandsby and it was won by Langar, ridden by his owner the Hon. E. Willoughby. In Great Britain, local hunts combined in 1913 to form the Master of Hounds Point‐to‐Point Association, control passed to the National Hunt Committee in the mid 1930s and The Jockey Club in the late 1960s. In recent years, pony racing has been staged at British meetings in an attempt to more young riders into point to pointing. It includes races for children and veteran riders, the majority of the races are for riders on purebred New Forest ponies, but some races are open to horses and ponies of other breeds. Point-to-Point races are run over a minimum of three miles, but certain races, including some blue riband events are longer, and Maiden races for young horses can be run over 2½ miles. Most Point-to-Point courses are laid out on ordinary farm land, although a few are placed on the inside of professional courses such as Bangor-on-Dee racecourse or Hexham, there are 110 point-to-point courses throughout the United Kingdom divided into nine regions. East,8 - Ampton, Cottenham, Fakenham, High Easter, Higham, Horseheath, Marks Tey, scotland,4 - Balcormo Mains, Friars Haugh, Mosshouses, Overton. South & Central,4 - Hackwood Park, Kimble, Kingston Blount, south,7 - Aldington, Catsfield, Charing, Godstone, Parham, Penshurst, Peper Harow. Wales,11 - Bangor-on-Dee, Cilwendeg, Howick, Llanfrynach, Llanvapley, Lower Machen, Lydstep, Pentreclwydau, Pyle, Trecoed, a three-mile race is almost invariably two circuits of a typical point to point course although there are one or two exceptions. Every course must have a number of 18 fences and at least two fences must have ditches
36.
Thoroughbred horse racing
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Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies, there are two forms of the sport, Flat racing and jump racing, called National Hunt racing in the UK and steeplechasing in the US. Jump racing can be divided into hurdling and steeplechasing. Traditionally racehorses have been owned by wealthy individuals. It has become common in the last few decades for horses to be owned by syndicates or partnerships. 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, owned by IEAH stables, historically, most race horses were bred and raced by their owners. Additionally, owners may acquire Thoroughbreds by claiming them out of a race, a horse runs in the unique colours of its owner. These colours must be registered under the governing bodies and no two owners may have the same colours. The rights to certain colour arrangements are valuable in the way that distinctive car registration numbers are of value. It is said that Sue Magnier paid £50,000 for her dark blue colours. If an owner has more than one running in the same race then some slight variant in colours is often used or the race club colours may be used. The typical cost of owning a horse in training for one year is in the order of £15,000 in the United Kingdom. The facilities available to trainers vary enormously, some trainers have only a few horses in the yard and pay to use other trainers gallops. Other trainers have every conceivable training asset and it is a feature of racing that a modest establishment often holds its own against the bigger players even in a top race. This is particularly true of national hunt racing, Racing is governed on an All-Ireland basis, with two bodies sharing organising responsibility. The Turf Club is the rulemaking and enforcement body, whilst Horse Racing Ireland governs, in 2013, Ireland exported more than 4,800 Thoroughbreds to 37 countries worldwide with a total value in excess of €205 million. This is double the amount of horses exported annually from the U. S, the Jockey Club in the UK has been released from its regulatory function but still performs various supporting roles. A significant part of the BHAs work relates to the disciplining of trainers and jockeys, disciplinary enquiries usually relate to the running of a horse, for example, failure to run a horse on its merits, interference with other runners, excessive use of the whip
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Buzkashi
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Buzkashi, is the Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal. It is the sport of Afghanistan, although it was not banned. Traditionally, games could last for days, but in its more regulated tournament version. From Scythian times until recent decades, buzkashi has remained as a legacy of that bygone era, during the rule of the Taliban regime, buzkashi was banned in Afghanistan, as the Taliban considered the game immoral. After the Taliban regime was ousted, the game resumed being played, today games similar to buzkashi are played by several Central Asian ethnic groups such as the Kyrgyz, Pashtuns, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Uyghurs, Hazaras, Tajiks, and Turkmens. In the West, the game is played by Afghan Turks who migrated to Ulupamir village in the Van district of Turkey from the Pamir region. In western China, there is not only horse-back buzkashi, Buzkashi is the national sport and a passion in Afghanistan where it is often played on Fridays and matches draw thousands of fans. Whitney Azoy notes in his book Buzkashi, Game and Power in Afghanistan that leaders are men who can seize control by means foul and fair, the Buzkashi rider does the same. Kazakhstans first National Kokpar Association was registered in 2000, the Association has been holding annual kokpar championships among adults since 2001 and youth kokpar championships since 2005. All 14 regions of Kazakhstan have professional kokpar teams, the regions with the biggest number of professional kokpar teams are Southern Kazakhstan with 32 professional teams, Jambyl region with 27 teams and Akmola region with 18 teams. Kazakhstans national kokpar team currently holds a title of Eurasian kokpar champions, a photograph documents kokboru players in Kyrgyzstan around 1870, however, Kyrgyzstans kokboru rules were first officially defined and regulated in 1949. Starting from 1958 kokboru began being held in hippodromes, the size of a kokboru field depends on the number of participants. The buzkashi season in Tajikistan generally runs from November through April, High temperatures often prevent matches from taking place outside of this period, though isolated games might be found in some cooler mountain areas. Buzkashi was brought to the USA by a descendant from the Afghan Royal Family, a mounted version of the game has also been played in the United States in the 1940s. Young men in Cleveland, Ohio played a game they called Kav Kaz, the men – five to a team – played on horseback with a sheepskin-covered ball. The Greater Cleveland area had six or seven teams, the game was divided into three chukkers, somewhat like polo. The field was about the size of a field and had goals at each end, large wooden frameworks standing on tripods. The players carried the ball in their hands, holding it by the long-fleeced sheepskin, a team had to pass the ball three times before throwing it into the goal
38.
Equestrian drill team
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An equestrian drill team is a group of horses and riders performing choreographed maneuvers to music. Teams typically perform at rodeos, horse fairs, parades, benefits, Drill teams are intended to entertain, show sportsmanship, horsemanship, teamwork and dedication. Competition drill at the level is a controlled ride and has continuous forward motion. Some competition venues have set up divisions of competition to provide for novice, rodeo, youth, gaited and special effects such as theme. Theme drill provides a division that allows teams to showcase their uniforms, horse ability, music, members must have a uniform appearance, including outfits, hats, tack, and flags. Horses should be of the type, e. g. stock type, gaited, or miniature. Teams can range in size from four horses to 20 plus horses, categories can include Novice, Youth, 4-H, Gaited, Theme, Rodeo, Quad, or Open. The United States Equestrian Drill Association is the body for mounted drill. The USEDA sanctions competitions throughout the United States, the United States Equestrian Drill Championship is held each June at the Texas Rose Horse Park near Lindale, Texas as part of Super Ride - an International Festival of the Equestrian Arts
39.
Polocrosse
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Polocrosse is a team sport that is played all over the world. It is a combination of polo and lacrosse and it is played outside, on a field, on horseback. Each rider uses a cane or fibreglass stick to which is attached a racquet head with a loose, thread net, the ball is made of sponge rubber and is approximately four inches across. The objective is to score goals by throwing the ball between the teams goal posts. Anyone who can ride a horse can play polocrosse, which helps improve riding skills. All ages and abilities are encouraged to play and the Pony Club have recognised polocrosse as a horse sport, to get started, players need a recognized safety helmet, a racquet, a ball, leg wraps and coronet boots for the horse. Unlike polo, players are allowed only to one horse. There is no restriction on the height, although polocrosse horses are generally smaller than 16hh. Horses of all breeds play polocrosse and the Australian Stock Horse is the most popular breed playing in Australia, stallions are not permitted to play. A match comprises four, six or eight chukkas, the three players in each section play the position of a No. The team structure was designed to force players to pass the ball about amongst themselves, making it a better skilled, the field is 60 by 160 yards, with three separate areas. The goal scoring areas, on end, are 30 yards long. Only the No.1 of the team and the No.3 of the defending team can play in these areas. The middle area is 100 yards long, the line separating the goal scoring and centre areas is called the penalty or thirty-yard line. Goal posts are eight feet apart, to score, the ball must be thrown from outside an 11-yard semicircle in front of the goal. Players can pick up the ball from the ground, catch it in their racquet and they throw it to other players until the No.1 has possession in the goal scoring area. A player cannot carry the ball over the penalty line, and it can also be passed to a player over the line. When carrying the ball, a player must carry it on the stick side, a player can, however, pick-up or catch the ball on the non-stick side provided they immediately bring it back to their stick side
