Jigitovka trick riding

Acrobatic feats and displays of daring on a galloping horse.

About

Jigitovka is the display of agility and daring on a galloping horse. Jigit is a word of Turkic origin: in the Caucasus and Central Asia it means a skilful and brave rider, or a brave man in general. Jigitovka is widespread among the peoples of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, and among the Cossacks.

At a gallop the rider jumps onto the saddle with both feet, stands upright and fires a weapon, hides under the horse's belly and picks small objects up from the ground. A course of 300–400 metres is set aside for such displays; if the horse stumbles or stops, or the rider falls, it counts as a defeat.

In the Russian Empire and the USSR jigitovka was used in the training of the cavalry; since the early 19th century it has been shown in circuses and at equestrian competitions. In 2016 it was officially recognised as a sport in Russia.

The Turkic peoples have their own names for this art. Among the Kazakhs kumis alu is picking a coin up from the ground at full gallop; K. Amanzhol calls it jigitovka and names its counterparts — tenge ilu among the Uzbeks and tyiyn enmei among the Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz call feats performed on horseback at ustundo oinoo, and a master of them at oyunchu. In Azerbaijan, in the Karabakh game Baharbend, the riders throw down their hat, sword, belt and dagger at the gallop, then turn the horse and pick them up from the ground one by one. In Turkmenistan jigitovka is performed by the Galkynysh equestrian group. As R. Mammadov writes, in Azerbaijan the master of such feats on horseback was called atjanbazy, asbandaz, asbran, minici or jundi: he leapt onto the back of a galloping horse, passed under its belly and neck, stood upright, bent down to pick things up from the ground, and showed his skill with sword and dagger in the saddle.

Peoples

Research: Vasif Namazov, Turan Games Concept

Jigitovka trick riding

About

Peoples

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