Gymkhana is a term used in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, east coast of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and other English-speaking nations to describe an
equestrianEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
event consisting of timed games for riders on
horseThe horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. These events often emphasize children's participation and may be organized by a recognized
Pony ClubPony Club is an international youth organization devoted to the educating youths about horses and horseback riding. Pony Club organizations exist in over 30 countries worldwide...
or a
4-H4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." ...
club.
In the western United States, this type of competition is usually called an "O-Mok-See" (also spelled O Mok See or "Omoksee") competition, a term derived from a
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
phrase meaning "games on horseback."
Gymkhana and O-Mok-See classes include timed speed events such as
barrel racingBarrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues, in collegiate and professional ranks, it is primarily a rodeo...
, keyhole, keg race (also known as "down and back"), flag race, and
pole bendingPole bending is timed event that features a horse and one mounted rider, running a weaving or serpentine path around six poles arranged in a line...
.
- Gymkhana (motorsport)
Gymkhana is a type of motorsport practiced in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Similar to autocross, gymkhana courses are often very complex and memorizing the course is a significant part of achieving a fast time...
- Rodeo
Rodeo is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western...
- Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
- Pole bending
Pole bending is timed event that features a horse and one mounted rider, running a weaving or serpentine path around six poles arranged in a line...
- Barrel racing
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues, in collegiate and professional ranks, it is primarily a rodeo...
- Tent pegging
Tent pegging is a cavalry sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines officially recognised by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Used narrowly, the term refers to a specific mounted game with ground targets...
- Gymkhana
Gymkhana is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for "racket court," is an Indian term which originally referred to a place where sporting events take place. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held.In India, the term...
-- for information on sporting clubs in India, from which the term originally derived.
Discussion
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Gymkhana is a term used in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, east coast of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and other English-speaking nations to describe an
equestrianEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
event consisting of timed games for riders on
horseThe horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. These events often emphasize children's participation and may be organized by a recognized
Pony ClubPony Club is an international youth organization devoted to the educating youths about horses and horseback riding. Pony Club organizations exist in over 30 countries worldwide...
or a
4-H4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." ...
club.
In the western United States, this type of competition is usually called an "O-Mok-See" (also spelled O Mok See or "Omoksee") competition, a term derived from a
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
phrase meaning "games on horseback."
Gymkhana and O-Mok-See classes include timed speed events such as
barrel racingBarrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues, in collegiate and professional ranks, it is primarily a rodeo...
, keyhole, keg race (also known as "down and back"), flag race, and
pole bendingPole bending is timed event that features a horse and one mounted rider, running a weaving or serpentine path around six poles arranged in a line...
.
See also
- Gymkhana (motorsport)
Gymkhana is a type of motorsport practiced in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Similar to autocross, gymkhana courses are often very complex and memorizing the course is a significant part of achieving a fast time...
- Rodeo
Rodeo is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western...
- Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
- Pole bending
Pole bending is timed event that features a horse and one mounted rider, running a weaving or serpentine path around six poles arranged in a line...
- Barrel racing
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues, in collegiate and professional ranks, it is primarily a rodeo...
- Tent pegging
Tent pegging is a cavalry sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines officially recognised by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Used narrowly, the term refers to a specific mounted game with ground targets...
- Gymkhana
Gymkhana is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for "racket court," is an Indian term which originally referred to a place where sporting events take place. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held.In India, the term...
-- for information on sporting clubs in India, from which the term originally derived.
External links