Cambodian Horses to Train for SEA Gold
Photo from Cambodia Equestrian Federation Facebook Page
- By Ken Gadaffi
- March 31, 2022 11:03 AM
Skill sessions planned for equestrian teams
PHNOM PENH – The Cambodia Equestrian Federation has mapped out its strategy as it strives for a historic first gold medal at the 2023 SEA Games.
Federation president Tep Mona said there were plans to organize competitions every six weeks to improve the technical skills of the Cambodian team.
The events will be divided into levels for regular athletes and for the national team. These are designed to measure the ability of the national team to compete as the Games’ host.
Mona said she expected the team to improve its technical strength.
“This type of sport is not easy because the athletes need to train together with the horses, especially to jump over the bar together smoothly so as not to fall,” she said.
“The most difficult thing is to control the horse while jumping over bars between 70cm and 1m high, to maintain balance and to go over bars up to 12 times with many left and right turns.”
Currently, the national team has seven athletes who can ride a horse over a 1m bar. Now the federation is training horses and teaching riders to work together.
The federation has been importing horses from France for the last month, and these can jump up to 1m, while two Cambodian horses can jump 1.25m.
Mona said the federation needs more time for the horses and riders to be able to work together calmly to control the jumps.
There are also plans to send athletes to train in France and Thailand before the Games.
Mona hopes that the federation’s goal of one SEA Games gold medal for the first time in history is achievable.
