I mentioned in my previous post that MGAA, Mounted Games Across America, was going to have a booth and be performing a demo at the PA Horse World Expo this weekend and that Simon and I were taking part.
It was a really fun time, and it was a really cool experience. Ill be sure to post about the Booth and demo in detail, but for now, Ill leave you with a video that one our our amazing members, Annie Seymour put together of the demo.
Posted by riderofchaos on February 26, 2012
https://blueridgepony.com/2012/02/26/mounted-games-at-the-pa-horse-world-expo/
In just a few days Simon and I will be at the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, in Harrisburg, PA. We will be riding, with our mounted games team as part of a demo competition for MGAA, Mounted Games Across America. MGAA also has a booth that will be operating Thursday through Sunday.
Tomorrow morning Simon and I are driving up to teammate, Linda’s house. Then Linda, myself and our teammate Kim will get together to have a practice and get our ponies cleaned up and show ring presentable. It should be a fun day!
Friday morning we will be driving up to the expo and working the MGAA booth all day along with a few other friends. I am looking forward to checking out the facility and looking at all the cool booths. I am also very excited to talk about MGAA and mounted games all day long.
Saturday we will be loading the ponies and driving up to take part in the expo. We are riding at 4pm, so if you happen to be there, be sure to cheer us on. We are team Old School and will be dressed in navy with yellow. One of the best parts about mounted games is that as a spectator you can cheer really loud and pick a team to support.
Ill be sure to blog about the experience next week. I am excited to ride in such a different type of venue, but I am also excited to take part in it with my team. It’s a cool way to kick off the games season!
http://www.horseworldexpo.com/PAmain.shtml
Posted by riderofchaos on February 22, 2012
https://blueridgepony.com/2012/02/22/kicking-off-the-games-season/
I have been working on the PR for our Blue Ridge Games Clinic and Open Practice sessions that are coming up. I made up this flyer to post all over the place. I think it came out pretty good.
We are offering clinics that are open to riders that are brand new to games as well as those that are already playing but want to advance their skills some. It would be great for any Pony Club games riders that are gearing up for their regional or the national competitions or that want to start playing MGAA games this year. Riders will be grouped by skill and experience to best optimize their time. Its only $25 and riders may also stick around and take part in the open practice for no additional charge.
The practice is open to anyone. We bring the equipment, and mark out an A and C line and everyone can dive in and have fun. It’s a great opportunity to brush up for the spring season, and get the bugs worked out of your pony. It is also a fabulous way to get a new pony out and experienced before going to a competition. Practice is $20 a rider.
We are doing these at the Shenandoah Fairgrounds in Woodstock, Virginia. Everyone must register in advance. We ride in a ring on all weather footing, but will cancel if the weather stinks.
We have a website – which is still under construction – www.blueridgegames.org and we also have a facebook page www.facebook.com/blueridgegames that you can “like” if you want updates.
I am also happy to answer questions kristashine@hotmail.com
Posted by riderofchaos on February 13, 2012
https://blueridgepony.com/2012/02/13/blue-ridge-games-clinic-and-open-practice-poster/
We have our own little games group, Blue Ridge Games, which is part of MGAA – Mounted Games Across America. MGAA is a non-profit 501c3 national organization, with the sole intent of promoting, educating and providing mounted games opportunities. BRG is also an all volunteer group, that tries to offer mounted games opportunities in an area where games is a bit new.
We need to have our own set of games equipment to really operate. So far BRG has been able to barrow equipment for our competitions and we use my own personal equipment for practices and we have been able to make that work. But it really adds an obstacle to hosting a competition and it’s a lot to ask of other people.
Creating your own personal set of equipment is not an inexpensive task, but some things can be skimped on and fabricated, although often to a not-quite-standard degree. Which does not always work for a competition set of equipment. For a competition set, you need to have 4 -6 sets of each item, and they all need to match and be to specifications.
There are also a lot of heavy metal, specially made pieces that are expensive to purchase and are a bit difficult to find. There are two current games people that create and sell these metal items. One, The Steel Pony, is the original artist for metal games equipment in the USA. Operated by Mark, he originates in PA but recently moved to FL. The other seller is a family in Kentucky. They both make excellent equipment that lasts a life time. We are talking about items you can gift to your kids who will then in turn gift to their kids. Once you purchase these items you are set for life. Although because of location, handing over equipment is a task that can take a year or more to arrange.
When it comes to expense, these items add up. With the rise in metal prices the cost of a single bending pole has shot up some, being close to $60 each, and metal costs continue to rise. Each set requires 5 poles. So at last year’s $60 price, one set costs $300. Our little BRG group needs 4 sets of everything to make the cut, which would run us $1200. Wow right!
Because our little group can hardly afford to purchase one or two poles in a good year, we decided to check with the local vo-tech center that operates as part of the public school system. They agreed to make the bases for us at cost! Score! We could still only afford two sets, 10 bases total, but it’s a start. I have a set of matching poles as do two others in our group, so between us and the new bases we actually have five lanes! Crazy!
Of course we still need to save up for the wooden poles, which will cost about $70 for both sets. But shoot, we are just happy to have the bases for now.
Posted by riderofchaos on February 1, 2012
https://blueridgepony.com/2012/02/01/games-equipment-for-the-not-for-profit-group/
We attempt to provide the Blue Ridge Valley with local mounted games competitions, clinics and practice opportunities and I have set up three dates for this coming year so far.
These events will be hosted at the Shenandoah Fairgrounds in Woodstock, Virginia and anyone can take part.
So what is mounted games?
I can best describe it as relay races on horseback. Riders are generally set up on teams. The riding area is arranged with matching lanes. Teams are line dup at one end of the playing field behind a line, one team per lane. A referee starts the race with the drop of a flag. The first rider on each team races through an obstacle that has been preset in their lane, and then “hands off” with a teammate who then races through the obstacle. The finish is called in the order the final rider of each team crosses the finish line.
Races are generally run one after the other, with the same teams of riders staying in the playing field and completing 10-18 races within a one hour session. The order of completion in each race gains a predetermined amount of points for each team, and at the end of the session those points are added up for a final score and placement.
That’s the basics.
Mounted games gives riders the opportunity to ride on a team, where working together is paramount to completing each race.
Because all of the equipment in the lane must be left in a specific condition at the end of the race, riders must decide how fast to push their pony without disturbing the equipment. If, for example, riders are riding around a barrel, and they knock the barrel over, it must be righted and returned to its original position before that rider can continue. Finding the fastest speed to go around the barrel without knocking it over is a key element in games.
But generally in games you do not just ‘go around a barrel’. You most likely need to retrieve an object from that barrel, or place one on it while going around it. So riders are then required to figure out how close they need to get to the barrel to pick up the object, while still keeping speed and not knocking it over.
Some races require riders to dismount, retrieve an object and then remount before continuing. This encourages riders to perform a vaulting mount without the aid of stirrups. Generally reserved for the younger more agile riders, feats of vaulting onto ponies at a full gallop are spectacles to witness, but they do require a lot of training of the pony and practice of the rider to accomplish. Spills happen.
Lots of fun to take part in and with an array of divisions that are directed toward riders of different age and skill level, mounted games is a sport for many.
I have been playing games since I was 9 years old, and although Simon just started a year ago, he is already a fabulous games pony. Simon and I ride on a team, Old School, in the adult (fossil) division. Being part of a team is amazing, and I will be sure to post about it in the future.
We generally take the winter months off, although there are still games competitions taking place. We have our first one coming up at the end of February. Our calendar packs in after that, with games dominating about every other weekend through October. No worries, you will hear a lot about it if you choose to follow this blog.
Three of the teams at the Fall Demo 2011
Posted by riderofchaos on January 30, 2012
https://blueridgepony.com/2012/01/30/blue-ridge-games-spring-dates/
Blue Ridge Pony 