About Horseball - Click Here
Further Information on Horseball - Click Here
2006 Calendar of Events - Click Here
UK Horseball Website - Click Here

About Horseball

Horseball began in France over twenty years ago. The French Sports Federation wanted a new game for France to be played on a small arena, to be suitable for television and exciting for spectators. Jean Paul Dupont, a rugby player who also owned a dressage school, looked at numerous ball games on foot, at polo, basket ball, and rugby. He took a bit from each and came up with the game of Horseball.

The French now have over 4,000 riders competing in Horseball tournaments. They have League competitions all over France with audiences of up to 8,000 at the larger venues. The French Equestrian Federation have made Horseball part of the riding instructor exam and support their International teams financially.There are Horseball Centres all over France and the French International team is made up mainly of riders who teach the sport professionally.

The Game:

Two teams of six riders must pick up a ball from the ground, without dismounting, and using a game of attack and defence attempt to score in goals at each end of the pitch. The game commences with four players from each team on the pitch. The ball is placed on the ground and has to be picked up in canter before being passed between high to score a goal. During the passing the opposing team may intercept, tackle or retrieve the ball if it goes to the floor. There are mounted and an unmounted referees and a safety officer on the sideline, rules are strictly enforced.Although the game looks fast and exciting it has an excellent safety record in comparison to other equestrian disciplines with very few accidents over the last 13 years.

Any type of horse or pony can play. The majority of those used also compete in other disciplines, some at affiliated level.

Very little equipment is required – a size 4 junior football with a harness of 6 leather straps, a ‘pick up strap’ from one stirrup to another and normal bandage protection for the horse’s legs. Apart from that, normal every day saddlery is used.

The arena is usually on an all- weather surface but the game can be played on grass, an enclosed area min 25 mtrs by 75 mtrs is required.

British Horseball

Horseball began in the UK in 1991 after France played it’s First Division final at Wembley Horse of the Year Show.

Riders from across the UK got together to form the British Horseball Association, recognised by the British Horse Society as the governing body of Horseball in the UK. The Association has active Child Protection, Equine Welfare and Equity policies and has a group of registered Horseball trainers who are required to hold both child protection and first aid certificates.

There are teams competing in the senior, junior, cadet, and ladies only competitions from all over the UK, to the South as far as Kent and to the North as far as Newcastle. Since playing at Sheffield Arena BSJA in April 2004, there has been a surge of interest in the game resulting in the need for training for quite a few new teams, particularly in the North.

Funding

Horseball is totally self funding, although an application is being made to join the British Equestrian Federation, our members are not eligible for any Government, Sports Council or lottery funding. Although several companies have kindly provided individual teams with shirts and horse clothing in the past, no Horseball team has had sponsorship or support. The sport has now possibly a higher visibility than many other equestrian sports with TV and media coverage and appearances at high profile competitions and shows. The nature of the game is such that it provided an excellent window for sponsors looking to support a fast, exciting spectator sport.

International

Internationally the sport is growing with Brazil Argentina and the Netherlands recently joining the Federation and India and Pakistan receiving training.There are three European Championships held annually in different host countries each year. The French continue to maintain first place with Belgium regularly in second place. The UK junior team received their first bronze medal in 2004 , with the Ladies Senior team achieving the same result in 2005 and the British team 4th at the European Championships in Milan 2005.

Horseball has recently been presented to the FEI by the International Federation of Horseball in the hopes than one day it can be accepted as an Olympic sport.
 

Web News Editor: kate@eldwickridingclub.co.uk

Cheers
Kate

 

top