Hobby horsing explained

Hobby horsing should not be confused with Hobby horse polo.

Hobby horsing
Country/Region:Originated in Finland
Mgender:Yes
Category:Sport, Hobby
Equipment:Hobby horse

Hobby horsing is a hobby with gymnastic elements which uses hobby horses, also known as stick horses.[1] [2] Movement sequences similar to those in show jumping or dressage are partly simulated in courses, without real horses being used. The participants predominantly use self-made hobby horses.[3] [4] [5]

The sport was introduced to a wider public through Selma Vilhunen's 2017 film Keppihevosten vallankumous (Hobbyhorse Revolution),[6] which won two awards at the 2017 Tampere Film Festival.[7]

In Finland, the country of origin of the sport,[8] an annual national championship is held in addition to regional competitions. This sport, which can be classified as a fun and trend hobby, is particularly popular with girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 18 years[9] and is gaining popularity beyond the other Nordic countries in other parts of Europe.

While the sport may be perceived more as a childish pastime by "real riders," Fred Sundwall, secretary general of the Finnish Equestrian Federation, views it positively: "We think it's just wonderful that hobby horsing has become a phenomenon and so popular." "It gives kids and teenagers who don't have horses a chance to interact with them outside of stables and riding schools."[10] [11]

A 2022 article in the British equestrian magazine Horse & Hound said that in the UK hobbyhorsing takes place occasionally as a novelty charity fundraising or Pony Club event but that "hobbyhorse competitions are probably more likely to be seen as a bit of fun at a school sports day than as a serious competition". The hobby had spread to Australia by 2016,[12] and the first Australian national championship was held in Queensland in 2024.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Definition of HOBBYHORSE . www.merriam-webster.com . 6 February 2022 . en.
  2. Web site: hobbyhorse – LEO: Übersetzung im Englisch ⇔ Deutsch Wörterbuch . dict.leo.org . 6 February 2022.
  3. News: Barton . Laura . Hobbyhorsing: what girls everywhere can learn from the Finnish craze . 24 November 2022 . The Guardian . 30 April 2019 . en.
  4. News: Hobby-horsing is a popular sport in Finland. 'It's very bizarre for other people to see' . 24 November 2022 . National Post . 8 May 2017 . en.
  5. News: Terry . Martha . Want to compete, but struggling with horse power? Check out the hobbyhorse championships . 24 November 2022 . Horse & Hound . 17 June 2022 . en.
  6. Web site: Hobbyhorse Revolution – Films . Visions du Réel . 24 November 2022.
  7. Web site: Pham . Annika . Hobbyhorse Revolution reaches Finnish and world audiences . Nordisk Film & TV Fond . 24 November 2022 . en . 30 March 2017.
  8. News: Haug . Kitty . Hobby Horsing – der neue Trendsport mit Steckenpferd . 6 February 2022 . www.abendblatt.de . 10 May 2021 . de-DE.
  9. News: Aktuelle Nachrichten aus Osnabrück, Melle, Lingen, Papenburg und Umgebung – NOZ NOZ . 6 February 2022 . noz.de . de.
  10. News: Germany . Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgart . Videos von Mädchen mit Steckenpferden: Hobby Horsing – dieser schräge Trend kommt aus Finnland . 6 February 2022 . stuttgarter-zeitung.de . de.
  11. News: "Hobby Horsing" ist der wohl verrückteste Sport der Welt . 6 February 2022 . bigFM . 6 April 2017 . de.
  12. Web site: How it all started . Hobby Horse Riders . 24 November 2022.
  13. Levy, Arianna (5 July 2024) "Queensland holds Australia's first championship for hobby horsing as TikTok spurs on membership", ABC New. Retrieved 20 July 2024.