Mounted games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mounted games is a branch of equestrian sport in which very fast games are performed by people of all ages on ponies up to a height of 15 hands.

They require a high degree of athletic ability, good riding skills, hand-to-eye coordination, determination, perseverance, and a competitive spirit, which nevertheless requires an ability to work together with other riders and a willingness to help one another.

Mounted Games were the inspiration of H.R.H. Prince Philip. When Col. Sir Mike Ansell was Director of the Horse of the Year Show, Prince Philip asked if he could devise a competition for children who could not afford an expensive, well-bred pony, and in 1957 the Horse of the Year Show, then at Harringay Arena in North London, England, staged the first Mounted Games Championship for the Prince Philip Cup — it was an immediate box office success.^{[citation needed]}

The sport of mounted games as it exists today was founded by Norman Patrick. His aim was to extend the sport, previously age-restricted by Pony Club, for wider participation, and for this reason, in 1984, he established the Mounted Games Association of Great Britain. In the years which followed his continued support and patronage ensured that the sport spread across Great Britain and beyond.

At the time of his death in 2002, the sport which he had established was being enjoyed by countless riders across the world, and the International Mounted Games Association, which was formed in 2003, now has members in twenty countries on four continents:

Windsor Castle

1 Arena
2 Games
3 World Team Championships
4 External links

[edit] Arena

[edit] Games

There are many different games played in Mounted Games. These are split into Team, Pairs and Individual Games.

Team Games:

Agility Aces
Association Race
Bang-a-Balloon
Bank Race
Bottle Shuttle
Carton Race
Flag Fliers
Four Flag
Founder's Race
HiLo
Hug-a-Mug
Hula Hoop
Jousting
Litter Lifters
Mug Shuffle
Pony Express
Pony Pairs
Ride and Lead
Socks and Buckets
Speed Weavers
Sword Lancers
Three Legged Sack
Tool Box Scramble
Two Flag
Windsor Castle

Pairs Games:

Agility Aces
Association Race
Ball and Cone
Bottle Shuttle
Carton Race
Flag Fliers
HiLo
Hug-a-Mug
Hula Hoop
Litter Lifters
Mug Shuffle
Pony Pairs
Run and Ride
Socks and Buckets
Speed Weavers
Sword Lancers
Three Legged Sack
Three Mug
Tool Box Scramble
Two Flag

Individual Games:

Association Race
Bank Race
Bottle Shuttle
Carton Race
Flag Fliers
HiLo
Hula Hoop
Litter Lifters
Moat and Castle
Mug Shuffle
Run and Ride
Socks and Buckets
Speed Weavers
Sword Lancers
Three Mug
Three Pot Flag Race
Tool Box Scramble
Triple Flag
Two Flag
Victoria Cross

[edit] World Team Championships

The IMGA World Team Championships are held each year in a different member country. At the first World Championships in 1985 only four teams participated, by 2007 this had grown to 18 and is expected to continue rising over the coming years.

Originally Great Britain participated as one team however from 2000 onwards this was split into England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland have always participated as a separate team.