[ad_1]

Those unable to make it to the World Equestrian Games in neighboring Polk County, N.C., can get a glimpse of what all the excitement is about at the Spartanburg County Library headquarters.

Librarian Jess Herzog has organized a display in the atrium that describes each of the eight disciplines that are sanctioned by the Federation Equestre Internationale, the global governing body for equestrian sports.

The FEI will award individual and team medals for each discipline: Endurance, reining, dressage, eventing, para-dressage, vaulting, jumping and driving.

The display coincides with another on exhibit — bronze horse sculptures by American artist Frederic Remington. The sculptures are on loan and will be returned to the private family in October.

County Librarian Todd Stephens said the exhibits are timed to coincide with the Sept. 11-23 World Equestrian Games at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The Opening Ceremony is Tuesday evening in Mill Spring, N.C.

“There’s a lot going on there,” Stephens said. “It’s a fun event for us to acknowledge what’s taking place up the road.”

Meanwhile, Herzog will be one of about 25 judges for one of the events — eventing.

“It’s incredibly exciting,” she said of being picked as a judge.

Herzog condensed a description of each of the eight disciplines for the library display:

* Endurance: A 100-mile ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains and into Spartanburg County that tests a horse’s physical prowess and ability to work over a different terrain. Endurance riders can expect to spend 14 more hours in the saddle on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

* Reining: The only Western riding discipline represented at the world games. Judges look for the horse and rider team that best embodies the ideal Western pair.

* Dressage: A rider and mount are given a test that is used to determine a horse’s skill and grace at the walk, trot and canter. Horses are expected to execute dozens of moves.

* Eventing: A three-day event that tests the horse’s overall skills through a dressage test on day one, a cross-country test on day two and a show jumping test on day three.

* Para-dressage: Para-dressage enables riders with physical restrictions to compete at an international level. Riders are given a predetermined list of movements to execute.

* Vaulting: Horses move in a circle and are controlled by a lunger, who often also vaults. Vaulters are urged to include artistic aspects to their performance, just as in gymnastics.

* Jumping: Riders have to navigate the course from memory and horses have never seen the jumps. If a horse knocks down a pole or refuses to jump, they are penalized.

* Driving: A dressage test at the walk and trot on day one. Day two is a marathon, which times the team’s speed and navigational skills with eight different obstacles.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

[ad_2]

Source link