"Agricultural college with a touch of horses": Ukraine hosted hobby horsing competitions (video).

On February 17, competitions in a new sport — hobby horsing — took place in Kropyvnytskyi. Journalists from "Suspilne" were present at the event.

The first to compete in the region were students from the agricultural college. Hobby horsing is a sport that incorporates elements of artistic gymnastics, sports gymnastics, and track and field. Athletes run and jump while holding a stick with a horse's head between their legs. During this, hobby horsers mimic the movements of a horse, similar to equestrian sports.

"There is a category called 'freestyle' — this is more about sports and artistic gymnastics; there is no exact scoring, but there is beauty and precision in the execution of the exercises. There is also a category for jumping over barriers in height. At this stage, we will evaluate beauty," explained judge Oleksii Stepanchuk.

According to him, there are plans to establish a hobby horsing federation. Coaches will be sent for training so that hobby horsing can be pursued professionally in Kropyvnytskyi.

"This is a new sport, but world championships have already started to be held. The equipment used is a horse, called a hobby horse. It must be 50 centimeters from head to tail, and its weight should not exceed one kilogram. The rules state that during the performance, a participant is not allowed to secure it to themselves with tape or rope," the judge explained.

Physical education teacher Viktor Zavalnyi reported that 14 students participated in the competition. They were divided into two teams. According to him, the participants "didn't agree right away, but eventually accepted" the offer to compete in hobby horsing.

"First of all, we have an agricultural college, which is somewhat related to horses. Secondly, times are tough now, and children need a way to relieve stress. They need an emotional boost and to try something new," he emphasized.

The competition consisted of five events: presentation, freestyle, transport, feeding, and obstacle courses with barriers. Zavalnyi shared that they primarily evaluated artistry. Student Oleksandr Ermakovych expressed that he "really enjoyed it," as he received positive emotions and had fun.

"It was easy to participate; our teachers prepared us. The last event was the obstacle course, which was not easy. I wasn't interested in hobby horsing before, but I knew it existed," admitted fellow participant Valeria Kiyanytsia.

As a result of the competition, the judge announced a tie.

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