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Horse Surfing


Horse surfing, is an extreme sport, invented in 2005, by Daniel Fowler-Prime, current director and co-founder of Horse boarding UK and Matt Smith ,a surf shop manager, from Cornwall, England. It requires two people, a horse and a board, and involves one person riding either a; kite-board, surfboard, wake-board or skim-board, while being towed behind the horse, the horse being ridden by the second person, through shallow water, at speeds up to 40mph. Although the sport originated in England the first official horse surfing competition was held in 2006 in La Baul, France, and over the last 14 years the sport has continued to spread internationally .Today there are official national associations of horse surfing, as well as several international competitions with globally established rules and categories.

-    Origin.
Horse surfing, a modification of horse boarding, originated in 2005 in Cornwall, England. It was the product of innovation when Daniel Fowler-Prime, the creator of horse boarding, was commissioned for a 'beach trick horse riding' photoshoot. Daniel forgot to bring a mountain board, his board of choice for horse boarding, to the photoshoot, resulting in him asking local surf shop manager Matt Smith to bring a mountain and wake board to the photoshoot. Matt agreed and horse surfing was first attempted,. The photos from this photoshoot were subsequently republished in several publications and the popularity of horse surfing has continued to grow ever since. The first Horse surfing competition was held in 2006, one year after the sports invention, in La Baul, France. In 2008 the first horse-surfing and Horse-boarding drag race was held and the number of competitions has grown ever since with competitions, to date, having been held in Dubai, Australia, Taiwan and the USA.

-    Competitions.
Horse surfing competitions include multiple rides across 4 distinct horse riding disciplines, with the winner being determined by points accrued over the four events.

Competition area

The competition area requires a 300m stretch of shallow waterfront, divided into several subareas, the preparation and start zone sub-areas are designed to give the team a space to connect the horse and rider via the rope, and for the horse to then take the rope tension so the rider is able to stand. The main course area can not exceed 250m, however it can be made shorter by moving the finish post closer to the start post where required. An exact breakdown of the course is as follows-

Pre-competition area

- Preparation zone - 10m

- Start zone - 10m

Start Post- competition area

- The course - maximum length 250m

Finish Post - post competition area

- Run off area - 30m

Personnel

A horse surfing team comprises of four people and one horse. The two main competitors are the horse rider and the surfer, while the remaining two team members, the dinghy man and the rope man, are responsible for getting the surfer in place prior to being connected to the horse and connecting the horse to the surfer via the tow rope, respectively.

Rules and regulations

There are several rules that have been standardised across all official horse surfing competitions. These rules are as follows -

- It is at the discretion of the team if they wish to complete the course right to left, or left to right.

- While it is ideal that every team is able to compete under equivalent conditions, horse surfing is primarily a spectator sport and as such it is at the discretion of the chief judge or event    manager how much time will be invested in ensuring that weather conditions are comparable for all riders. The decision of the chief judge or event managers’ decision is final and can not be contested. While the contest will continue regardless of weather, in the event of severe and/or rough weather a “severe/rough weather provision” may be issued.

- If a competitor wants to submit a protest it must be done in writing not verbally, within 30mins of the event in question. Judges will use official footage to determine the result of protests, no spectator footage will be considered.

- Re-rides will never be granted is reaction to personal equipment fault, however at the judges decision resides may be allowed in the event of unsafe conditions, rope breakage or other extraneous circumstances.

- Disqualification will result if conduct is considered unsportsmanlike, this includes the use of  vulgar language, tantrums, not riding to the best of ones ability, consumption of alcohol during the competition, competing under false pretences, or concealing significant injuries or health problems.

- There is a risk associated with participating in horse surfing, as such a competitor must sign a participation contract prior to competing, demonstrating they understand the risks associated with horse surfing. All medical conditions or significant/ relevant injuries must be disclosed prior to competing.

- While a first aid team is required to present at all times during federation-sanctioned competitions, and rescue crafts must be ready and waiting in appropriate locations to assist riders who are injured during competing, all competitors are still required to wear a life vest that will be effective in ensuring the competitor floats in the event they become unconscious.

Equipment

- The horse

- The board

- The saddle modifications

-  Locations.

-   A description of what conditions- type of water body

-    Associated horse training and care.
-   A coverage of the care and cost associated with horse ownership and horse training.