Cossack trick riding, traditional martial arts for modern dare-devils

The Russian Trick Riding Championship, a national non-Olympic horseback riding event, took place last weekend in the Moscow region.

Recreated on the basis of an ancient Cossack tradition, trick riding doesn’t create tricks, but rather imitates them from real-life usage. The program includes knowledge of various cavalry weaponry, performing acrobatic exercises on a galloping horse, hitting a target with a spear, galloping with a saber, shooting from a pistol and knife throwing.

The most dangerous trick is sliding under a horse’s belly while riding because the horse could stumble and the rider could be injured. One of the main requirements for trick riding is for the horse to gallop quickly. This is a dynamic spectator event where all spectators feel the irrepressible energy of the Cossacks.

Related article: Cossack culture through the prism of hip hop

Read more: Cossack fashion: Wide trousers, papakhas, and a fighting spirit

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