Today, August 30, the horse riding arena on Red Square welcomed Children and Youth JigitovkaCompetition for the Cup of the Kremlin Equestrian School.
Jigitovka or fancy trick riding refers to the act of performing acrobatic stunts while riding a horse. In Russia it was widely spread in the 19thcentury among the Cossacks and had military appliance. Then it was included in the compulsory training program of the Red Army cavaliers.
The fancy trick riding competition was forestalled by the performance of the Cavalry Escort of the Presidential Regiment who demonstrated their flankirovkaskills (or skills of handling various types of bladed weapons). During the performance they were joined by three junior athletes. Then the chance to show the same professionalism had the representatives of the Equestrian Club named after Baklanov (Volgograd region) and the Step’ Swans group from the Donskie Horses Equestrian Club (Lipetsk region).
Straight after the flankirovkashow young cavaliers stepped onto the horse riding arena. For the Cup of the Kremlin Equestrian School athletes competed in two age groups, featuring children from 7 to 10 and from 10 to 13 years old. Each group comprised eight athletes representing equestrian clubs from Moscow and Moscow Region, Saint Petersburg, Voronezh, Volgograd, Tver, Novgorod and Penza regions. The Kremlin Equestrian School extended their help and provided kids with two trotting horses of the Budenov breed nicknamed Fakeland Katalog. All the participants were to show four fancy trick riding elements. This choice was up to them. All the elements were performed at a trot.
All the young cavaliers were very confident and performed elements of different complexity which were awarded points.
Sofia Borisova from the Eskadron Equestrian Club (Volgograd Region) became the winner in the younger age group. She is 10 years old and according to her she’s been doing equestrian sports since 4. Besides she is attending flute and national vocal classes.
“But jigitovkaI like the most”, stated Sofia.
Eleven years old Kirill Nefedov from the Equestrian Club named after General Baklanov (Volgograd Region) became the winner of the senior age group. Besides horse riding he is doing flankirovka and button accordion classes.
“I have already excelled in jigitovka. Thus in Rostov I came first and in Volgograd – second and third”, said Kirill.
All the winners were awarded cups, medals and valuable gifts from the Kremlin Equestrian School. Other competitors received gifts from the Directorate of the Spasskaya Tower Festival. The ceremony was held by Mr. Boris Petrov, Director General of the Kremlin Equestrian School, and Mr. Andrey Nenashev, chief judge of the competition.