This is one of the most popular races. The pony and rider start with a baton and gallop in and out of 5 poles turning tight at the top and return to the start to hand the baton to the next rider who then repeats the procedure.

Mug Shuffle

This again is a fast race where the rider has to move a mug from pole 1 to pole 2 and from pole 3 to pole 4 The next rider then repeats the sequence.This is a difficult game as the rider needs to steer a pony at full speed whilst placing an object correctly.

Sword Lancers

This is a race where the rider has to gallop up the poles collecting metal rings on the end of a sword. This can be very challenging as the rings make a noise when collected and some ponies are scared and will spook.
The rider hands the sword to the next rider who repeats this process. The more rings collected, the heavier and noisier the sword becomes. This race dates back to medieval times. In another race called “joust” , targets are set up and each rider is equipped with a 4 ft. 8 in long lance. The aim is to ride at the targets and knock them down with the lance. The Jousting race is frequently seen at Mounted Games displays.　

Bottle Shuttle

In this race the rider starts with a bottle, rides to the top of the arena, places the bottle on an upturned bin, rides back down the arena collecting another bottle on the way. The “new” bottle is passed to the next rider who repeats the procedure. The bottles are weighted to avoid the wind taking them and some riders shake the bottle as the noise encourages the ponies to go faster.　

Litter Race

This race requires a lot of skill. The “litter” takes the form of empty washing up bottles (or similar) with the tops removed. Competitors ride down the arena, pick up the litter on the end of a 4ft cane then ride past a bin and put it in. The top riders make it look so simple but you must be able to turn the pony and pick the litter up at the same time – that is when the art of neck reining helps!

Pony Pairs

In this race the rider rides down the arena leading a partner with a small rope. They then collect the next rider and return to the start. This game requires skill in riding and leading but the ponies must work as a pair and not be aggressive towards each other as this could cause disaster!

Association Race

This is a pyramid building race. Riders collect lettered boxes from the end of the arena and place them on a bin further down the games field. The letters spell out the initials of the association, for example in Britain M, G, A, G and B are used as they stand for the Mounted Games Association of Great Britain.
The letters must also be stacked in the right order!

They require a high degree of athletic ability, good riding skills, hand-to-eye coordination, general determination to see things through to the end no matter what 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 first developed in India and were played by adults. They were known as “Gymkhana” games. The most popular was tent pegging which was a popular pastime among the British Army and to this day they still use it in demonstrations, although the Army now use horses rather than camels and mules.

When the army returned to Britain they brought the idea of Gymkhana back with them. The games proved so popular that they still continue to this day. 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.

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 this landmark his continued support and patronage ensured that the sport spread across Great Britain and beyond.

Types of Mounted Games

No spurs

No bad or un-sporting behaviour

The Riders

Riders range from children of 3 years old, to young adults in their 20’s. Until recently there was an uper age limit of 21 years. However, this has now been relaxed. The sport can be enjoyed by competitors of all ages and all abilities. The only limits are those posed by the competition organisers to ensure that each event is fair and competitors have equal abilities. The sport does however attract younger riders due to the agility and athletic ability required.

A highly-priced aristocratic pony is not necessary to learn the games.That can come later if the rider chooses to persevere to a higher level.

Any pony will learn the tricks of the trade quite quickly, and many really good Mounted Games ponies are “rejects” from other branches of equestrian sport. In order for these ponies to succeed, however, the rider must be an experienced games rider and be able to teach the pony exactly what is required.