Tetrathlon
The Canadian Pony Club describes tetrathlon as a challenging sport consisting of four events: running, swimming, target shooting with an air pistol, and riding. It is based on the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon which has been included in the Olympics since 1912. The Modern Pentathlon was based on the King's Messengers who set off across country on horseback until met by the enemy when they had to fight their way through with a sword to finally escape and deliver their message on foot, swimming across a river on the way. The sport has been used by the military colleges of many countries to develop the character of their young officers. This link to the Canadian Pony Club web page provides more details about this discipline.
A new interesting Tetrathlon website containing a calendar of events across Ontario can be found at www.tetrathlon.ca
At the Guelph Pony Club, training begins in January usually. A number of mini-meets are put on by local pony clubs to help pony clubbers prepare for the Regional Tetrathlon.
