Horseback Boxing
Horseback Boxing is a unique equestrian sport in which competitors fight each other while riding on the back of a horse. It is an unusual sport that may not be played these days very often, if at all.
The founder of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, mentioned the sport in his eight page "Treatise of Equestrian Fencing" in 1906. In this document, he lists "l'escrime équestre ... avec le poing" (equestrian fencing with the fist). It was a version of Equestrian Fencing, a sport he tried to popularize in the early 20th century but it did not take off.
Equestrian boxing illustration from "Traité d'escrime équestre" 1906The other reference to the sport being played is some photos online. One shows the new novelty sport which was recently introduced in Germany in 1922. Another series of photos also dates from 1922, which shows members of US Army Troop F practicing for a mounted boxing contest in Rochester NY. In these images, there are two horses, on each of which two men sit back to back. The men wear boxing gloves and throw punches at the men on the opposite horse.
References
- Traité d'escrime équestre (Treatise of Equestrian Fencing) by Pierre de Coubertin et Louis Pascaud. Published éditions de la Revue olympique (Auxerre), 1906
Related Pages
- About Boxing — a combat sport in which two players throw punches at each other.
- Equestrian Fencing — sword fighting on horseback.
- Jousting — a medieval sport in which two competitors on horsebacks, wielding long lances with blunted tips try to take down each other.
- Elephant Polo — a form of Polo, played on the back of elephants instead of on horseback.
- Horse Sports — sports involving horses.
- More unusual sports
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