Young Joe now pegging his hopes on leading Britain to more success on world stage

After contacting the British Tent Pegging Association six months ago to find out more about the military-based sport, Joe was quickly selected for the British boys team to compete in an international event in South Africa.

Joe was made captain of his team and they went on to win a gold medal. In total, the British teams came home from the Junior Tent Pegging International in Durban with two gold medals, 10 silver and one bronze.

Joe, 16, who lives at Denholme near Keighley, took up Western riding two years ago.

“My mum rides but I was never into jumping or dressage and then I found out about Western riding and started competing,” said Joe.

He now has an American quarter horse which he broke in using natural horsemanship techniques and the four-year-old competed in his first rodeo competition last month.

Joe decided he would also like to try out tent pegging and after contacting the BTA he went to a trial event in Bristol and was selected for the British team to travel to South Africa. “It all happened so quickly, the first time I met up with the rest of the team was at Heathrow,” said Joe.

His team included another Yorkshire player, James Stansfield, from Malton.

Joe thinks the fact that he played tennis competitively helped as this meant he already had good hand to eye co-ordination. After suffering a dislocated shoulder about 18 months ago, however, Joe gave up tennis but by then riding was beginning to take over.

“I never expected when they (the BTA) rang me up that I’d be on the team a few months later,” said Joe.

The British contingent was in South Africa for 10 days and spent time training – they were provided with horses – and taking part in smaller competitions before the international contest on August 8.

Joe says the most memorable moment was when they paraded around the ring before the competition started and then saluted as the national anthem was played.

Tent pegging involves removing a tent peg from the ground using a lance or sword while galloping. Competitors also take part in related events such as Skill at Arms in which jumping is included.

The next competition for Joe will be the Junior Tent Pegging Championships which are being held at the end of September and at which next year’s team will be chosen. “I’ll definitely be entering that,” said Joe. “I would like to spread the word about the sport and encourage other people to have a go. You can borrow all the equipment and hire a horse, all you have to do is turn up.”

For more information go to www.britishtentpeggining.com.

The BTA is also running a competition at the Tournament Stud near Silverstone on August 25 when juniors would be welcome to have a go. For information email: [email protected].

Polly Stockton’s European Championship horse Westwood Poser has been ruled out of the event in Germany next week.

Stockton, a member of the six-strong British squad that will head to Luhmuhlen, will ride her reserve horse, Regulus, after Westwood Poser suffered a slight injury during training.

Great Britain are the defending European team champions, and Stockton will be joined in the squad by William Fox-Pitt (Cool Mountain), Mary King (Imperial Cavalier), Piggy French (Jakata), Nicola Wilson (Opposition Buzz) and Laura Collett (Rayef).

The reserve riders for Luhmuhlen are Lucy Wiegersma (Woodfalls Inigo Jones) and Francis Whittington (Sir Percival III).

Great Britain’s dressage riders are favourites to capture European title glory at the FEI European Championships in Rotterdam. Team medals will be contested today and tomorrow, the grand prix special on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s grand prix freestyle finale.