Hobbyhorse riders come to Hipposphere
On June 10, the small arena of the International Equestrian Exhibition Hipposphere has featured the 2nd stage of the competition on hobbyhorsing for the “Cup of Hobbyhorsing Federation of St. Petersburg – 2023”.
Five dozen hobbyhorsers, mostly girls aged 9–14, competed in the arena.
“The Hobbyhorsing Federation was established in 2019. During this time, the number of its participants has reached 60. In addition to competitions, we host workshops, webinars, and training sessions. The Federation Hobbyhorsing Cup, consisting of several stages, is held annually. This year participants from Moscow, Karelia, Voronezh and Belarus are competing at Hipposphere,” said the secretary of the Federation Evgenia Beskrovnaya.
Professional jury – judges of the 3rd category Maria Balabanova and Elena Nazarova – evaluate hobbyhorser movements according to the rules inspired by equestrian sport. The movements and elements should be beautiful and neat, and replicate the patterns of a real riding arena. The competition also takes into account the speed of hobbyhorse riders.
At the Cup finals, each young participant received commemorative awards and souvenirs, and the horses were also recognized. Creativity is an important component of hobbyhorsing. Before the competition, each participant tried to create a unique sports partner – a toy horse.
The organizers of the event – the Regional Public Association Hobbyhorsing Federation – emphasize that this sport is good for physical development and stress relief. Cheerful jumps, active movements, the spirit of a completely non-injurious competition give vigor and raise the mood. In addition, hobbyhorsing helps to determine whether the child likes the equestrian atmosphere and wants to continue training on a real horse.
Hobbyhorsing came to Russia from Finland. The sport is quite developed there. At Hipposphere, Hobbyhorsing has been presented to the public for 4 years, both in the business program and in the sports and entertainment program. Every year the number of participants in the competition grows.