Horse racing is boring.
I vote for the following two equestrian tournaments:
(1)
Magyar Horse archery
The old Magyar competition was recently revived by Lajos Kassai -- here is his
Kassai's site (unfortunately not very well orgajnized, but scan through the pics).
Instructions are simple: there is a 90m track & three targets (front, side, back). You must complete the track as quickly as possible, hitting all three targets.
(2)
Rejoneo Bullfight
The old Iberian tournament. No, not the stupid stuff with the picador on an armored horse, but the rejoneador on a naked horse, prancing around the charging bull, inserting darts into his neck.
(notice how insanely close the charging bull gets and no, the horse won't get hit; the rejoneador will avoid contact in the nick of time. Many rejoneadores show off their prowess by doing all this without a hand on the reins (two darts, control with
knees only) or bending over and
patting the charging bull with their hand.)
There are no "points". Performance is measured by the applause or jeers of the crowd.
A rejoneo goes in four or so "rounds" of progressively shorter darts -- the first dart being longest, the last really, really short. Certain "customs" (you can't really call them "rules"):
-- You
cannot hit a bull that is not charging at you. If he is not charging, it is your duty to stop & prance the horse to lure him to charge. If you insert a dart in a non-charging bull you'll get booed out of the arena.
-- the more dangerous the angle of charge of the bull, the better. The most wildly applauded is the full frontal charge -- the bull charges your horse head-to-head, you get your horse to daintly side-step his horns at the last second, allowing you to insert the dart straight on. Very dangerous and requires superb horsemanship:
Other angles are progessively easier and so are progressively applauded less. A "dianteira" hit (when the bull is charging the frontal flanks of your horse is a good show. When he charges you perpeindicularly is only OK. Inserting it when he is aiming at your back flanks from the side is passable. (see pic below). Inserting it when he is charging at your horse's behind is a rather poor show (often booed).
After a series of darts on horseback, send in the "matador" (killer) (dismount & armed with sword and cape, kill the bull with a perfect hit between the shoulders)
.
