Creaking knees and arthritic hips will be put to the test on 4 October when the Cambridgeshire Countryside Alliance group holds its inter-hunt adult gymkhana.
Local hunts are invited to send teams of four — aged over 25 and mounted on horses rather than ponies — to take part in bending, apple-bobbing and other races more regularly the preserve of their Pony Club members.
Organiser and Fitzwilliam hunt joint-master George Bowyer will be taking part on his 17.2hh part-bred Irish draught, Paddy.
“There will be mounting blocks provided for those who can’t get back on board, but I can get on Paddy without one,” he told H&H.
“We thought it would be a fun way to raise some money and hope that teams will bring along lots of supporters to have a good laugh at them.”
Hunts can either forward one team of four to take part in all six races or a number of “specialist” teams for each.
The gymkhana will be held at Manor Farm Equestrian Centre near Huntingdon, at 3pm, and there will be a bar and hog roast.
• To enter, email office@fitzwilliamhunt.com
This article was first published in Horse & Hound (17 September, ’09)
