Gresford’s Shaun Thompson has been selected in the Australian Mounted Games national team to compete in Kentucky, USA, in July.
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This is the 15th year the 29-year-old has been participating in the sport, taking it up through pony club as a teenager.
Mounted games are a series of very fast races performed by people on horses.
They require a high degree of athletic ability, good riding skills, hand-to-eye coordination, general determination to see things through to the end no matter what and a competitive spirit.
They can compete individually, in pairs or in teams.
The competition has its own repertory of about 20 different games, with some being common to all formats.
They include the five flag race with flags being put into and retrieved from witch’s hats at high speed.
Another popular game is the stepping stone dash race where the rider dismounts, runs across a set of upturned buckets (stepping stones) and vaults back into the saddle to complete the race.
Shaun was first picked in a national junior squad in 2000 and has since represented Australia in Wales in 2005, Sweden the following year and then Sydney in 2008.
“But then I got married and Carina and I had two sons so that stopped the overseas travel for awhile,” Shaun said.
“I was still competing but not putting my hand up for national selection.
“Carina also competes and together we won the NSW and Australian pairs in 2013.
“With Riley now three-and-a-half and Rhys seven months, we did a fair bit last year.
“I won the Australian pairs and individual at Albury which I think helped my selection.
“Last year Carina was pregnant with Rhys so didn’t compete, but she will come with me to America.”
The mounted games are held 10 months of the year with the season to start in Sydney at the beginning of February.
“The association meets monthly at different competitions and we travel south, mainly to Sydney, Canberra and Albury,” Shaun said.
“They are like one big family and the other competitors and their families look after the children while we are competing.”
Shaun will compete in Kentucky in a team of five with another fellow competitor from New South Wales and the others from Victoria and South Australia.
