Hobby horsing

Hobby using stick horses

Not to be confused with Hobby horse polo.

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Hobby horsing

A hobby horse rider jumping

Characteristics
Mixed-sex| Yes
Type| Sport, Hobby
Equipment| Hobby horse
Presence
Country or region| Originated in Finland

Hobby horsing is a hobby with gymnastic elements which uses hobby horses, also known as stick horses.[1][2] Movement sequences similar to those in show jumping or dressage are partly simulated in courses, without real horses being used. The participants predominantly use self-made hobby horses.[3][4][5]

The sport was introduced to a wider public through Selma Vilhunen's 2017 film Keppihevosten vallankumous (Hobbyhorse Revolution),[6] which won two awards at the 2017 Tampere Film Festival.[7]

In Finland, the country of origin of the sport,[8] an annual national championship is held in addition to regional competitions. This sport, which can be classified as a fun and trendy hobby, is particularly popular with girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 18[5] years[9] and is gaining popularity beyond the other Nordic countries in other parts of Europe.

While the sport may be perceived more as a childish pastime by "real riders," Fred Sundwall, secretary general of the Finnish Equestrian Federation, views it positively: "We think it's just wonderful that hobby horsing has become a phenomenon and so popular." "It gives kids and teenagers who don't have horses a chance to interact with them outside of stables and riding schools."[10][11]

A 2022 article in the British equestrian magazine Horse & Hound said that in the UK hobbyhorsing takes place occasionally as a novelty charity fundraising or Pony Club event but that "hobbyhorse competitions are probably more likely to be seen as a bit of fun at a school sports day than as a serious competition".[5] The hobby had spread to Australia by 2016,[12] and the first Australian national championship was held in Queensland in 2024.[13]

## References

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1. ^ "Definition of HOBBYHORSE". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
2. ^ "hobbyhorse – LEO: Übersetzung im Englisch ⇔ Deutsch Wörterbuch". dict.leo.org. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
3. ^ Barton, Laura (30 April 2019). "Hobbyhorsing: what girls everywhere can learn from the Finnish craze". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
4. ^ "Hobby-horsing is a popular sport in Finland. 'It's very bizarre for other people to see'". National Post. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
5. ^ a b c Terry, Martha (17 June 2022). "Want to compete, but struggling with horse power? Check out the hobbyhorse championships". Horse & Hound. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
6. ^ "Hobbyhorse Revolution – Films". Visions du Réel. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
7. ^ Pham, Annika (30 March 2017). "Hobbyhorse Revolution reaches Finnish and world audiences". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
8. ^ Haug, Kitty (10 May 2021). "Hobby Horsing – der neue Trendsport mit Steckenpferd". www.abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 6 February 2022.
9. ^ "Aktuelle Nachrichten aus Osnabrück, Melle, Lingen, Papenburg und Umgebung – NOZ | NOZ". noz.de (in German). Retrieved 6 February 2022.
10. ^ Germany, Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgart. "Videos von Mädchen mit Steckenpferden: Hobby Horsing – dieser schräge Trend kommt aus Finnland". stuttgarter-zeitung.de (in German). Retrieved 6 February 2022.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
11. ^ ""Hobby Horsing" ist der wohl verrückteste Sport der Welt". bigFM (in German). 6 April 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
12. ^ "How it all started". Hobby Horse Riders. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
13. ^ Levy, Arianna (5 July 2024) "Queensland holds Australia's first championship for hobby horsing as TikTok spurs on membership", ABC New. Retrieved 20 July 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Hobby Horse revolution by Selma Vilhunen Official trailer on Youtube
* Hobbyhorse Revolution at IMDb