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How a Mounted Games Competition Day Works
Your first competition day can look like organised chaos from the lorry park. Ponies everywhere, tannoy announcements, teams warming up in every direction. Once you understand the rhythm of the day it all makes sense, and it is far less daunting than it first appears. If you are completely new, start with our beginner's guide and then come back here.
Before you leave home
Plait or tidy the pony if your team likes to, load your kit the night before and check your hat and body protector are sound. Make a list. The number of people who arrive having forgotten the flags is higher than you would think. Allow plenty of time for the journey and for the pony to settle once you arrive.
Arriving and settling in
Get there early. Unload, let the pony stretch its legs and have a walk round so it can take in the atmosphere. Find your team, check where the collecting ring is and have a look at the running order. A pony that has had twenty quiet minutes to look at the world will race far better than one hauled straight off the lorry into a heat.
The warm-up
Warm up properly but do not drill your pony into the ground. A loosening trot and canter, a few transitions and a couple of practice turns are plenty. Save the legs for the arena. This is also the moment to settle your own nerves. Most riders find that once the first race is underway the worry disappears.
How the racing runs
Teams are drawn into lanes and race head to head, usually best of three or over a set number of races. A steward starts each heat, judges watch for dropped equipment and crossed lanes, and points are awarded by finishing position. Across the day those points add up, so a quiet, mistake-free race is often worth more than a flashy one where you drop a baton. Knock something over and the rule is simple: go back and put it right before you carry on.
Looking after your pony between heats
This matters more than anything. Loosen the girth, offer water, find some shade and let the pony relax. A games pony works in short, intense bursts, so the rest between races is when it recovers. Keep an eye on how it is coping with the heat and the workload. Our notes on welfare go into this in more detail, and it is the mark of a good horseman to put the pony first on a long day.
Enjoy it
The results matter less than people expect. Ask any of our members what they remember and it will be the laughs in the lorry park and the team pulling off a clean handover, not where they finished. Once you have a day or two under your belt, the range of races will start to feel like old friends. Ready to commit? Here is how to join MGA NI.