Germany's first hobby horsing championship gallops through Frankfurt
Germany’s first hobby horsing championship has got underway in Frankfurt this weekend with hundreds of young riders competing in time jumping, style jumping and dressage on their wooden stick horses
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany's first hobby horsing championship got underway in Frankfurt on Saturday, with hundreds of young riders competing in time jumping, style jumping and dressage on their wooden stick horses.
Roughly 300 riders — mostly youngsters, but there are about 20 adults enrolled — are expected to canter around a gymnasium Saturday and Sunday, watched by 1,500 spectators. The competition is part of a growing wave of hobby horsing events internationally: the United States and Australia also held their first championships this year.
“Hobby horsing just gives me self-confidence and I just enjoy doing it with other people," said Max Gohde, a 15-year-old competitor from Gifhorn, Germany, who has been practicing since 2020. "And now there’s also this atmosphere here, where everyone is just happy for you. And I think that’s just really cool.”
The events stemmed from a grassroots movement in Finland, where riders trotted their hobby horses through Nordic forests more than 20 years ago. The pastime has since exploded in popularity through social media during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and it has been credited with highlighting female empowerment for the enthusiasts.
