Are you ready for horseball? (From Gazette Series)

Are you ready for horseball?

HORSE enthusiasts across Gloucestershire are feeling the impact of an emerging sport that is sweeping the south of England - an exciting game called horseball.

With two teams based in the county, riders and fans alike are beginning to get involved with the game and, with the new league season commencing this month, there has never been a better time to find out what the sport is all about.

A major horseball team is based in Newnham while another, called Severn Vale, can be found in Tidenham, near Chepstow. These two teams and others from London, Kent and Essex are all set to compete against rival teams from the Midlands and the north of England in the British Horseball Association League 2005, which begins next week.

Originating in France in the 1980s, horseball was the brainchild of the French Sports Federation who were keen to introduce a new game to sports fans that could be played on a small arena and be suitable for television and spectators.

The game was actually devised by former rugby star Jean Paul Dupont, who was also a keen dressage enthusiast. Determined to create a new game that involved elements of polo, basketball, rugby and football, he pioneered horseball and introduced his discovery to his country.

France now has over 4,000 riders competing in horseball tournaments nationwide. There are league competitions across the country with audience of up to 8,000 fans attending the premier events.

The French Equestrian Federation have made horseball part of the national riding instruction exam and support their international teams financially.

There are Horseball Centres all over France and the French international team is made up mainly of riders who teach the sport professionally.

The game is made up of two teams of six riders who must pick a ball up from the ground without dismounting. Using a simple gameplan of attack and defence, each team must attempt to score goals at each end of the pitch.

The game commences with four players from each team on the pitch. The ball is placed on the ground and has to be picked up at a canter before being passed through the air between team-mates with the ultimate aim being to score a goal by throwing the ball through a hoop three metres above the ground. During the passing the opposing team may intercept, tackle or retrieve the ball if it goes to the floor.

There are several mounted referees and one unmounted official on the pitch at all times as well as a safety officer on the sidelines.

Any type of horse or pony can play and the majority of those used also compete in other disciplines, some at affiliated level.

Very little equipment is required - a size four junior football with a harness of six leather straps, a 'pick-up strap' from one stirrup to another and normal bandage protection for the horse's legs. Apart from that, normal everyday saddlery is used.

Horseball was introduced to the UK in 1991 after the French First Division final was held at the Wembley Horse of the Year Show of that year.

Inspired by what they had seen, riders from across the UK got together to form the British Horseball Association, now recognised by the British Horse Society as the governing body of horseball in the UK.

Teams have been competing throughout the last 14 years at senior, junior, ladies and cadet level in competitions throughout the nation, but it was not until a special BHA event at the Sheffield Arena last year that the sport truly caught the public's imagination and there has been a huge surge of interest in the game ever since, with new teams formed nationwide.

The major goal now for the ever-growing International Federation of Horseball, the sport's world governing body, is to one day be accepted as an Olympic sport. In the meantime, Gloucestershire horseball enthusiasts have been encouraged by the county's two teams in Newnham and Tidenham.

The Tidenham-based Severn Vale team is an ever-expanding operation, and is currently on the lookout for new players. The team is trained by Juliet Fowler, and anyone interested in joining should call her on 0117 9501708 or check out the club's webpage at www.severnvale-equestrian.com/html/horse_ball.

L For more information on horseball, contact British Horseball Association chairman Mary Pettifor at Arkenfield Stables & Stud, Lowdham Road, Gunthorpe, Nottinghamshire or call her on 0115 9664574. The association's website address is www.horseball.org.uk.