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Equestrian (Horse Riding)

For 5,000 years the horse has been an ever-present ally in war and peace. Civilizations have risen and fallen on their backs and evidence of the horse’s use is everywhere to be seen. Yet somehow, following the increasing pace of mechanisation in the 1930s, we have so quickly forgotten how indebted we are to the domestication of these animals.

The Lawrence School, Lovedale has 25 horses and more than 280 pupils who have taken horse riding as their favourite sport. Our stables are state-of-the-art and we have two riding grounds of dimensions 60 * 20m, 80*40m. We also have 5 kms of cross-country stretch.

Equestrian is an Individual sport in which both the men and women ride and compete at the same level. It is one of the first sports in the world where the sportsmen and sportswomen compete together at parity.

The Lawrence School, Lovedale Equestrian club is a member of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) and also among the oldest schools pan India to be affiliated to the EFI. EFI, is affiliated to the sport’s International governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), based in Switzerland.

The riders of our School compete among top riders and clubs, at a professional level across the country.  The riders compete at Equestrian disciplines comprising of Dressage, Show-jumping, Eventing, Tent-Pegging and Vaulting.  

Dressage: Dressage is a highly skilled form of riding performed at exhibition riding and competitions, as well as an "art" sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. Dressage is described as "the highest expression of horse training" where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements." Its fundamental purpose is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horse's natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse.

Show Jumping: Show Jumping is a sport for horses and riders which tests the horse’s ability to jump over a course of fences at a pre-determined pace. In a Show Jumping event, the stamina, speed, and flexibility of the horse are tested, along with the relationship that the horse has with its rider Show jumping is also integrated into many combination competitions, such as the modern pentathlon and eventing.

Eventing: Eventing is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show-jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test that required mastery over several types of riding. The competition may be run as a one-day event (ODE), where all three events are completed in one day (dressage, followed by show jumping and then the cross-country phase) or a three-day event (3DE), which is more commonly held over four days, with dressage on the first two days, followed by cross-country the next day and then show jumping in reverse order on the final day.

 

Tent Pegging: Tent Pegging involves horse and rider racing along a 100-meter course and collecting, cutting, shooting, or accurately "stabbing" a series of pegs, lemons, rings, or mannequins along the way. Tent Pegging calls for a well-schooled horse that will respond to commands instantaneously and have no fear of noise or sudden movements. A high standard of riding skill is required to gallop a horse at full speed and maintain posture.

Vaulting: Equestrian vaulting, is simply described as gymnastics on horseback. Vaulting is a harmonious bond between horse and athlete that creates awe-inspiring acrobatic displays of skill and precision.

Staff of the Riding Department

  1. Mr. Prakash Sapkal Jijaba- HOD- Riding / Instructor

  2. Mr. Ganapath Rao- Veterinary Assistant

  3. Mr. Abdul Farith- Stable Manager

  4. Mr. Vignesh G- Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), Level-1 Coach and Trainer.

The Riding Department is supported by 13 support staff.

Activities

Regional Equestrian League and The Bangalore Horse Show

The Riding Team travelled to Bangalore for the Regional Equestrian League and Bangalore Horse Show to participate in the event between September 15th and 17th, 2023.

 

The students performed exceptionally and received 35 medals, including 10 gold, 11 silver, and 14 bronze. All students in the age categories under 12, 14, and 18 gave their best performance in all the games. Some students were even selected to participate in the National Games 2023. We are excited to continue practising hard and participating in more competitions to perform even better.

DREAM ALLIANCE – Inter-School Equestrian Competition

Dream Alliance - an Inter-School Equestrian Competition was held on the 29th and 30th of October, 2022 at the Kailash flats. Lawrencians from classes 7 to 12 took part in this competition which was judged by Col. Sunil Shivdas (Retd.) who is a renowned international Dressage judge.

The Dream Alliance competition is an effort to integrate equestrian talents and provide an opportunity to showcase them at the school level around the country. The event involves a judge who will travel around the country and visit those schools and clubs that have registered themselves for the competition. Upon registration, all the details including the Show Jumping Course diagram, Dressage Test and other such particulars will be provided by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI). The judge will accordingly visit those places and record the performance of the riders. These results will be compiled and after he visits the final event venue, the numerous riders who took part in the competition will be given an overall ranking. The top three riders in various disciplines will be awarded medals and certificates. The two primary disciplines are - Show Jumping and Dressage.

The first event of its kind that Lawrence School has hosted paved the way for the possibility of exposure to our School Riding team. It was a wonderful opportunity for our budding riders to experience the pressure of competition and learn how to deliver the best under trying circumstances. The success of this event was the result of a joint effort of the Riding Department, the School Administration and the students.

It is important to celebrate our victories and that is exactly what our School did.  Participation Certificates, Certificates of merit, and medals were awarded to the riders in the Large Hall, after the final event. The prize distribution was followed by an interactive session with the judge and our riders made the best use of the opportunity by asking as many questions as they could. The judge, Mr Sunil Shivdas, was patient and very informative. He was pleased as well as motivated to answer the queries of our young equestrian enthusiasts.

Our riders, 18 in number, took part in several events including 105 cm, 95 cm, and 85 cm Show Jumping and Dressage tests.

 

Click here to view the intra-school position in various events

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