School teacher wins British tentpegging competition
Maths teacher Sarah King has beaten soldiers of the Household Cavalry, police officers and a Pakistani prince to become the first woman to take the top award at a British tentpegging competition.
Tentpegging is a cavalry sport and involves a horseman riding at a gallop and using a sword or a lance to pierce, pick up and carry away a small ground target or a series of small ground targets.
A Master at Arms Award is given for the highest overall score at any competition, and Sarah, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, achieved this landmark at the British Tentpegging Association’s championships, at Bodney Camp, Norfolk, on 23 August.
“My mare is really on her toes and loves galloping flat-out, so tent pegging suits us well,” said Sarah.
Sarah and 15.2hh Jade beat 20 other riders, including renowned tentpegger Prince Malik of Pakistan.
“When I started there was a lot of banter from the other competitors. It made me more determined to win,” she added.
Sarah will be travelling to Durban, South Africa, as part of a GB ladies’ team for the South African Tentpegging Association Championships (29-30 September).
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This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (9 September, ’10)
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.