Copley joins the cavalry to take on rest of the world in India
JENNA Copley is excited at the prospect of taking on the rest of the world at the Tentpegging World Cup in India next week.
Around 17 nations have confirmed to compete at the World Cup, which takes place on March 18-24, including Iraq, Qatar, Oman, Australia, South Africa and Kazakhstan. Four to five riders will compete per team at the Gurgaon Sports Stadium, Gurgaon, Haryana, New Dehli.
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Jenna Copley
Copley, the only female member of the team at the 2012 World Cup in India, cannot wait.
"I am really looking forward to it and can't wait to meet the other teams," she said. " It really is a party atmosphere.
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"We are hoping to win medals, after winning silver in the Team Lance last year. We are going to be tactical and put the best people in each discipline depending on their strengths and weaknesses.
"South Africa and Australia will be strong competition. They have a strong structure to their squads and it is a much bigger sport nationally. The South African team have over 100 people to choose from."
Tentpegging is a high-speed sport which uses guns, lances and swords. Riders must gallop at full speed on horseback while attempting to hit a tent peg in the ground, or a piece of fruit or rings at eye level.
The exciting sport originated from World War I cavalry training drills and the swords used can be antique swords. Prices vary on condition, but some can be worth in excess of £1,000.
It is a relatively small equestrian sport in the UK but Copley, a chartered accountant, wants to emphasise how easy it is to participate in and hopes more get involved in the high-speed, exhilarating sport.
"I don't understand why more people don't do it," she said. "It's very easy to get involved in. You don't need an expensive horse, like you do for show-jumping, polo or racing. You don't even need to own your own horse!
"All the horses need to be able to do is gallop fast in a straight line and they love it. They don't even need to be thoroughbred and they can be old.
"It is friendly and competitive, and the social life is fantastic. How you do is reliant on you, rather than the horse. It is a sport for everyone, not just military clubs."
Riding since she was ten, Copley soon grew tired of riding alone around the Cirencester village of Aldsworth. Competing in various equestrian sports including Polo, Polocrosse and show-jumping as a young girl, Copley specialised in show-jumping and competed at blue-chip qualifiers around the country, including Hickstead.
But the 34-year-old noted how cliquey the social circles could be in show-jumping and remembers that during a five-day competition, not many people took the time to speak to her.
"The groups of pro-jumpers stick together and as an amateur rider I decided I would go back to polocrosse," she said.
"I keep horses at home, so I was always riding by myself. On one lone ride, a man in military uniform stopped me and told me about tentpegging. I decided to give it a go, I thought it sounded brilliant."
In a recent international competition in Pakistan, Copley won a team silver with Tina Rickett Smith, just pipped to gold by the strong South Africans.
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