RULES FOR TENT PEGGING FOR SAFETY & COMFORT OF THE RIDER AND HORSE Written by Don Hawkins 1
Table of Contents Preamble... 3 Origins and History... 4 The Rider... 4 Horses and Training... 5 Tent Pegging Construction... 6 Tent Pegging Course Layout... 7 Rules for Tent Pegging Individual Runs with Sword/Lance... 8 Event Drill... 10 Common Weapon Handling Faults... 12 Competition Score Sheet... 13 Tent Pegging as a K Certificate Option... 14 Option A Assessment Sheet... 14 2
Preamble The Information in this package is based on the Australian Tent Pegging Association Rule Book 2014. It is designed and modified to suit the safety needs of Pony Club in the interests of creating participation and more skills in riding and greater scope for the older members with a view to retention of those members longer term. It also addresses some anomalies in the Pony Club Australia K Certificate Manual that may include the use of tent pegging as an option. The main aim is to introduce a change to the Pony Club Australia syllabus in two areas, mainly the introduction of a dummy sword and an allowance in the judging rules to cater for the new rules. The change in these rules, affects the way the competition is scored and the type of tent peg construction used to accommodate it. They are very minor changes and do not detract from the conducting of the sport in any other way. Previously, lances have been part of the PCAWA Syllabus and the competition lance mentioned in the Australian Tent Pegging Association Rules Book 2014 gives a measurement of (for junior riders), minimum of 2.15 metres and not longer than 2.30 metres. This makes for a very unwieldy weapon and one that would take some considerable expertise and strength to manage. There is no mention of lance length in the Pony Club Australia Syllabus so this too could be modified if thought to be an option. A sword, on the other hand, is from 81 centimetres minimum blade length to 1.10 centimetres maximum blade length. This is for a regular sword and not the modified one proposed. The modified one is made of aluminium tube 25 millimetres diameter one metre in length with rubber stoppers on each end so therefore no point that could cause injury to horse or rider. Because it has no point it is less intimidating to riders and parents of riders who are new to this sport. It also is in line with duty of care and risk management practices to ensure the safe environment needed to prevent injury. Generally, under Australian Tent Pegging Association Rules 2014, teams of four compete. For reasons of a duty of care and safety it is recommended only individual, 2 run, competitions be held for PCA Efficiency Certificate Assessments. The rules are available for any other competitions that need to be included and can be transferred at any time. A copy of this document will be available from PCAWA website or office upon request. 3
Origins and History Tent pegging is an exciting and skilful horse sport, and like dressage, show jumping and eventing has its origins in the military. Tent pegging is a variation of an ancient military skill. The use of sword and lance by mounted warrior s, dates back many centuries, and over the year s skill at arms contests were devised which not only provided enjoyment and satisfaction to those taking part, but military prowess as well. Tent pegging was among these skills. It is believed that the invasion of India in 326 B.C. by Alexander the Great that his army was the first to use the removal of tent pegs from around soldier s tents in predawn raids to cause havoc and confusion and therefore an easy victory. This then led to the practice of tent pegging. For many years, the horse was the only means of transporting troops, and the lance sword and pistol were the only weapons carried so proficiency with these weapons were paramount to survival. Naval and military tournaments were popular in Australia before World War 1, and drew large crowds of spectators. Tent pegging was also recognised at Olympic level in 1982 as an official event at the New Delhi Asian Games. In 1964 the first Australian Civilian Tent Pegging team was formed in Deniliquin in NSW, and was invited to compete at the Melbourne Royal Show. Following this, several other teams were formed and tent pegging competitions are now held regularly each year bound by the rules of the Australian Tent Pegging Association formed in 1981. Tent pegging was also popular and practised by Australian Mounted Police units until recent times. To this day there are many people involved in Australian Light Horse history based units. wearing all the original style uniforms of the day, these units still practice the skill at arms events in the form of tent pegging. The Rider Riders need to be aware of the level of fitness required for both horse and rider to compete in this type of event. Some individual courses have in total six runs which require a fair amount of stamina and fitness, so the presentation of your horse and equipment is paramount. There can be many other events on the day so fitness and turn out are important. In this proposed competition, there would only be two runs per rider per event. The competent tent pegger is well mounted, with their horse completely under control, who approaches the peg at a hand gallop, handles their weapon with skill and grace, engages the peg, recovers and brings their horse to a controlled halt at the end of the course. This is the ideal of course and not necessarily attained by all. The scores will reflect this rider by rider. 4
Horses and Training All breeds and cross breeds can and do tent pegging provided they are willing to learn. The secret to achieving a calm, obedient and responsive tent pegging horse is slow repetition. Make sure any training session is finished on a quiet, calm note, and only practice fast runs when your horse is ready to cope. Never rush your horses training. Some horses take longer to learn than others so recognise if your horse is not coping well and slow it right down and give them time. That said not all horses take to the sport as do some horses when it comes to other equestrian pursuits such as showjumping, campdrafting, polocrosse, dressage or eventing. As in all horse sports the horse must be under control and not show any vices. When a horse is in gallop it has quite a flat plain of movement as opposed to a slow canter where there is a lot of up and down movement. The faster pace gives the rider a better chance of engaging the peg as they do not have to compensate for the horses up and down movement whilst trying to engage the peg. The horse will also run straighter at a faster pace leaving less chance of being out of line with the peg. They are mostly easier to correct at a faster pace if going slightly off line. The ability to neck reign has an added advantage. 5
Tent Pegging Construction The traditional tent peg was made from wood and driven into the ground for practice and competition. All the pegs needed to be properly milled, painted on three sides only, a tie wire bound on the top and bottom of it to prevent splitting, and soaked in water for three days prior to use to soften the impact when striking the wood with a lance or sword. The wood was of a special type and is no longer readily available, plus milling, painting and wire tying is expensive and time consuming. In all competitions now held under the Australian Tent Pegging Association Rules Book 2014 and Australian Light Horse Rules, the use of cardboard glued together and painted is used. The ground is still required to be dug to accommodate the pegs being stable and at the angle needed. This is not always achievable due to some hard ground and time restraints. The peg proposed has a proven history of performance with normal and modified weapons such as mentioned above, is made from polystyrene foam and has high tensile fencing wire taped to its entire central perimeter to hold it steady in the ground with 75 millimetres protruding below. These are far more manageable and with white gaffer tape bound around them, easy to use. When struck with the modified weapon (sword), they do not flick up or cause any other issue that could cause injury to horse or rider, as they are pushed flat onto the ground. Plus, they can be reused many times without wear. The proposed specifications are: 75-90 millimetres wide, 240 millimetres long excluding the wire. 40 millilitres thick. The wire should protrude 75 millimetres below the base of the peg. Wire should be held in place by wrapping the whole peg with white gaffer tape before the final layer of thinner tape. 240 mm 75-90 mm Importantly for competition there must be uniformity to peg size. 75 mm 40 mm 6
Tent Pegging Course Layout 7
Rules for Tent Pegging Individual Runs with Sword/Lance 1. The cones should be set out as in the layout of the course in this document. 2. The cone markers are set 5 metres off the line of the peg. They assist the competitors with keeping their line and the judges to assess the drill. 3. Only 1 peg at a time is placed on the course and is set at an angle of 60 degrees to the ground facing and sloping away from the competitor. 4. Only 1 competitor is allowed on the course at any one time. 5. At a prearranged time, the first competitor approaches the start flag at Marker A on the course and comes to a halt. The competitor salutes the judge by raising the sword to the front at shoulder height in a vertical line with the arm held straight out to full length. The arm is recovered and the sword held at the slope resting on the shoulder of the competitor. If a lance is used, the butt of the lance is held on the rider s foot/boot and the lance is held at shoulder height by the rider s hand. For the salute is it thrust forward at shoulder height with the butt remaining on the rider s boot. The lance is then brought to the recover position which is back to the rider s side with the butt still on the foot. 6. When the judge is ready they will then signal with a raised hand for the competitor to commence the run. No runs are to be commenced without the signal from the judge. 7. Judging commences as soon as the run has begun and continues until the halt at the other end of the course. 8. The competitor commences the run and follows all the drill procedures that are required in this event as outlined in this document. 9. At the completion of the run the competitor brings their horse to a halt, waits briefly at the halt and then returns to the line of competitors waiting for their number in line to be next, assuming a position on the end of the line. 10. Once the remaining competitors have completed their first run, the procedure is completed again until all competitors have had two runs which indicates the end of the event. 11. All riders wait in line until either called to attend the judge or the judge attends their position to announce the results of the competition. 12. In the event that a competitor drops their weapon for any reason, all marks will cease to be applied to their run after that and an automatic loss of 3 drill points will be applied. All points 8
prior to that will still be allocated. The competitor may be rearmed to complete the second round. 13. If a rider becomes dismounted for any reason when engaged in the run, they will not be permitted to remount until they have been checked by the first aid person and only then if it is safe for them to do so. An automatic loss of 3 drill points will also be applied. 14. If in the judges considered opinion it appears the riders horse is an unsafe mount, then discretion can be used to remove the horse from the competition after discussion with the rider. 15. Drill will be awarded out of a possible 10 points. This is divided into drill style and pace on a total of 5 points per section. 16. Complete striking of the peg to flat on the ground will be allocated 6 points. 17. Striking of the peg and it only being partially pushed to the ground 4 points. 18. Striking of the side of the peg with the tip of the sword/lance is 2 points. 19. Striking of the peg with any part of the sword/lance not being the tip attracts 0 points. 20. If the riders mount runs off the course it will result in disqualification. 21. Any round completed in trot will not be allocated any points. 22. No competitor is permitted to change horses during the competition. 23. No mistreatment of a horse will be allowed and can result in elimination. 24. In the event a riders/horse s gear is broken, no further part can be undertaken by that competitor until it has been rectified to the judge s satisfaction. Loss of helmet = loss of 2 drill points plus helmet must be reinstated before continuing. 9
Event Drill 1. The rider enters the course area to marker A with the sword at the slope with forearm horizontal to the ground, the rider s elbow at their side and the weapon resting on the shoulder. This is done at a walk. If using a lance the rider carries the lance with the butt of it resting on the rider s boot. The lance is carried vertically with the rider s hand at shoulder height with a bent wrist to allow the knuckles to be at the front of the lance so that the rider s knuckles are facing the front. This ensure the lance is held vertically which is important for drill marks and control of the weapon. 2. The rider comes to a halt at the start marker A facing the judge and once there and has the judge s attention completes a salute by taking the sword from the slope to a straight arm forward to full extension with the weapon held vertical at shoulder height. The sword is then returned to a carry position. If using a lance the rider approaches the start under the same rules as for a sword, but holds the butt of the lance on the boot with the hand at shoulder height holding it vertically. The salute is given by thrusting the arm holding the lance forward at shoulder height before being returned to the to the vertical position before moving their hand down the lance to just below the point of balance before removing it from their boot to the carry position. 3. Once the judge has acknowledged the salute by raising the hand the competitor can commence the run. 4. The competitor will then pick up the line of the peg and commence into a hand gallop. The emphasis is to attain full gallop before or at marker B riding a line that will take them to about 45 centimetres to the left or right of the peg depending on the rider s master hand. To the left for right handers and to the right for left handers. 5. At marker C or the engage marker the sword will be taken to the straight-ahead position on a horizontal line parallel to the ground in line with the riders shoulder. This is the act of engaging the weapon prior to engaging the peg. The gradual bringing down of the point of the sword onto the peg engages the peg by the next marker D. For the lance, it will be thrust forward vertically being removed from the riders boot to the carry position prior to commencing the run after the salute. It is always held under the balance point so the point of the weapon will take itself in a downward manner to assist in engaging the peg. 6. The strike the instant the peg is struck with the point of the sword/lance the eye of the rider will be on the peg and the point of the sword/lance. As the peg is passed, the arm is kept straight and the sword/lance is allowed to at least swing back to the horizontal position 10
behind the rider before being brought back to the front with a graceful underhand sweep and returned to the slope. The rider follows the tip of the sword/lance with their eyes at all times, in this action. 7. The gallop is maintained until the F marker and then returned to the halt at the end of the course. The sword is still at the slope position and the halt maintained briefly before the competitor leaves the course. The same applies for the lance except that it is returned to the boot of the rider in the recovery position. 11
Common Weapon Handling Faults 1. REACHING The act of standing in the stirrup and leaning forward with a straight arm to the peg. Loss of 2 drill points. 2. PALMING The practice of resting the butt of the sword in the palm of the hand of the rider giving an unfair reach advantage and weakens the grip of the rider. Loss of 2 drill points. 3. If the rider does not use a completely straight arm when holding the sword and engaging the peg, then ultimately the peg can be easily missed. 4. If the rider does not use snappy drill movements this will lessen the chance of striking the peg. 5. When striking the peg with the lance it is important for the rider to follow the tip of the lance with their eyes so that they do not have the butt of the lance strike them on the helmet. This is also a drill movement and can attract a loss of points if not done. 12
Tent Pegging Competition Score Sheet Event Judge Date Signature Rider Round Drill Style Out of 5 Pace Out of 5 Strike* Out of 6 Total Out of 16 Over All Total out of 32 Placing Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Note Strike* 6 points when the peg is pushed completely to the ground. 4 points when the peg is pushed partially to the ground. 2 points when the peg is touched by the tip of the weapon only. 13
Tent Pegging as a K Certificate Option Option A Assessment Sheet RIDER PONY CLUB HORSE EXAMINER DOB ZONE VENUE DATE RESULTS MARK COMMENT WORKBOOK PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT OVERALL RESULT WORK BOOK REQUIREMENTS MARK /10 COMMENTS Write up preparation of horse for tent pegging and any competitions and/or schools attended Write up preparation and care of horse, before, during and after the event (including safety equipment and precautions taken for horse and rider) Write up experiences in competitions and/or schools and the equipment used GRADING Competent Not Yet Competent PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS MARK /10 COMMENTS Must be able to show proficiency with the sword/lance Demonstrate how to carry sword/lance correctly and safely. Either weapon is sufficient for this level to be assessed and does not include both. Know commands/signals and drill for individual event runs which would be used for the assessment at this level. It would be sufficient for the candidate to know the rules pertaining to an individual 2 competition runs per rider per event as stipulated in the Tent Pegging manual held by PCAWA. Demonstrate how to handle sword/lance at the gallop Must know the rules of competition 14
PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT cont. Must be conversant with all rules as per the tent pegging support manual/document held by PCAWA. Must know the scoring for competition Must know how to release sword/lance safely if in trouble although this would not be encouraged unless needed. Know the points for a strike, draw, carry and split peg plus points for drill and pace. A split peg will not occur with a dummy weapon and nor will a carry however it is best to know this for any future reference. GENERAL IMPRESSION Riders Safety, Efficiency and Confidence GRADING Competent Not Yet Competent ASSESSMENT DETAILS EXAMINER (Print Name) SIGNATURE of EXAMINER THE EXAMINER/S DECISION AS TO THE RESULT OF ANY TEST WITHIN THE PONY CLUB MOVEMENT WILL BE FINAL. Organisers Please fill out the Examination report form and send results to PCAWA PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO CANDIDATE 15