As he reaches the middle of a dusty paddock, Simon Rodgers leans from his pony, Floss, and drops a ring onto an orange cone before pulling away and jumping off the horse at full speed.
The 23-year-old competes in mounted games and the quirky exercise is part of his training regime for the World Teams Championship, which is being held at Werribee in Victoria over the next four days.
“It has all the elements of horseracing, the fast and furious aspect of it, but there’s also a lot of skill from the rider in terms of hand-eye coordination,” Mr Rodgers said.
He and his fellow Australian teammates will compete against pony riders from across the world in a series of action-packed races, each with their own unique rule sets.
Some of these distinctive requirements include tossing socks into a bin, balancing a tennis ball on a cone or using a spear to burst a balloon.
“You also really develop a bond with that pony because you have to be able to go flat out and then stop at a piece of equipment,” Mr Rodgers said.
Each competitor must ride a pony smaller than 15 hands, or roughly 1.5 metres high, and comply with international weight rules.
Mr Rodgers, who is currently studying veterinary science at Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales, said the sport was “pretty niche”.
“It’s certainly bigger in Europe but it’s still a small community everywhere you go,” he said.
‘The shoe is on the other hoof’
This week’s competition is the 37th annual World Teams Championship and only the second time the event has been held in Australia.
Eleven countries from across Oceania, Europe and North America have sent teams to compete in the under 18s and open divisions.
Event coordinator Warwick Slade said Australians typically underperformed overseas, as they had to ride borrowed ponies.
“Australians will be able to ride their own horses [this year], which is a great advantage because they’re obviously long-term pairs and companions,” he said.
“The international riders will be riding ponies supplied by Australia … so finally the shoe is on the other hoof.”
Mr Slade said he was “extremely hopeful” the home advantage would help the national team improve upon recent results and even secure their first gold medal.
“There are a bit of nerves being in front of their home crowd and the expectation being put on them, but hopefully they’ll ride to the occasion,” he said.
Equestrian for ‘adrenaline junkies’
Acrobatic dismounts, dramatic handovers and furious galloping are common features in mounted games races, particularly at the highest level.
Mr Slade said the discipline has a small but dedicated following in Australia, with many riders falling in love with the combination of teamwork and fast-paced races.
“A lot of them are adrenaline junkies,” Mr Slade said.
“Jumping off a pony at a full canter then jumping back on … it’s very exciting to watch and very exciting to ride.”
Mr Rodgers was introduced to the sport while learning to ride at just 11 years old.
He assumed he would be involved for a year before moving up to bigger horses, but other disciplines failed to capture the same excitement of mounted games.
In the lead-up to this year’s event, Mr Rodgers said it was “pretty special” to compete against some of the world’s best — especially on his pony, Floss.
“She’s certainly not the fastest horse on the field, but she makes up for that with her accuracy and ability to do exactly what I ask,” he said.
