The Knight Riders

Horse riding no longer confined to just the Nihangs

They come galloping on horse-back with lances in their hands, pick up a wooden peg and pass off in a whiff, leaving you marvelling at the sort of stuff these young guns are made of.

The scene is no take from a cavalry strike - they are the riders, regal and fearless, of sadda Punjab, where equestrian sport has just arrived in a big way, moving away from the confines of police and military equestrian academies. Be it the swanky Chandigarh Horse Riding Society next to the picturesque Sukhna Lake or the Punjab Public School Riding Academy in the princely town of Nabha, young boys and girls are taking to this royal sport passionately, like never before.

Not to be left behind are equestrian academies of Kirpal Sagar Academy in Punjab's hinterland (Nawanshahr) and the Shivalik Riding and Pony Club at Chandimandir, headquarters of the western command.

Each of the academies are providing riding opportunities to explore the centuries old bond between man and horse which kept improving considerably as the role of the horse kept changing. From chariot pullers to horse cavalries to equestrian sports, the horse scene in Punjab also has undergone a change whereby horses no longer confined to just being ridden by traditional Sikh warriors, the Nihangs, or with the mounted police to diffuse mobs, but can be seen performing show-jumping, tent-pegging and dressage activities. ...Continued