Every little boy at some point dreams about being a top sportsman, dominating and crushing every available competitor until there’s no one left to beat.
At thirty years of age, that dream certainly wasn’t on my mind anymore, in fact, it had faded away many a year ago. However, it so happens that it was at age thirty that I discovered the sport of such dreams. Now, fast forward a few years on and I’m now a five time National Champion of an extreme sport that travels across the whole of the UK racing in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators for large amounts of prize money.
The sport in question is called ‘Horseboarding’, a sport which is fast taking over the globe at a phenominal rate.
It’s a simple concept of a rider on a horse pulling a boarder on a mountainboard (off-road skateboard) around a track in the fastest time. The boarder holds onto a waterskiing rope/handle attached to a harness on the saddle and can reach speeds of up to 28 MPH.
Our story all started on the local roads in south England, skating around the country lanes at slow speeds for a giggle. I soon saw an article about the HBUK (Horse Boarding United Kingdom) championship in a London paper and decided to get in contact to see what it would take to qualify. Before we knew what was happening, we were racing the best teams from all across the UK.
Since those early days it’s been a crazy ride of world records, TV shows and lots of great friends. Horseboarding may not be the most well known of sports, but the speed in which it has risen from the grass roots to where it is today is quite a story and it is about to get a lot bigger.
If you are interested in Horsboarding, all you need is a horse, a rider, a board and a field. Our boards are standard Mountain boards, with minor alterations depending on each individual boarder. Here in the UK we have two major board sponsors; Trampa Mountain Boards & Venom Board.
If you fancy yourself as the next big thing in extreme sports, then keep a close watch, because Horseboarding will soon be hitting America!
By Ross Towner
Action Photography by Joe Beasant
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Become an International Horseboarding Affiliate
Horseboarding International has been set up by Horseboarding UK to promote and develop the sport of horseboarding worldwide.
Managed by the founder of the sport in the UK, Daniel Fowler-Prime and together with his highly experienced Horseboarding UK team, it aims to promote and encourage the development of the sport through the establishment of national organizations within individual countries, under a standard system of rules, procedures and values.
Those wishing to set up a national organisation to run the sport within their own country will be able to affiliate to Horseboarding International, and will then be offered assistance in setting up, including a full breakdown on how to develop the sport within their country in accordance with Horseboarding International rules.
Affiliation will bring other benefits. These will include use of the Horseboarding International logo, and a national logo based upon our brand image. Once established, they will be added to our website as the official representative of the sport for their country, will have the opportunity for input into moving the sport forward internationally, and may be invited to send a representative to join the Governing Committee of Horseboarding International.
Horseboarding International will work with and for its affiliated organizations to organize and oversee international competitions, along the same lines as established main stream equestrian sports.
If you would like more information, please contact Daniel Fowler-Prime at danielfp@horseboardinguk.org
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The History of Horseboarding
In 2004, unaware of the far-reaching effect this seemingly routine event was to have on his life, Daniel Fowler-Prime went to train some horses for a friend.
One afternoon, horse training having finished for that day, “Watch this” said his friend and proceeded to tie a rope to the back of a car (driven by his sister), climb on to a mountain board and race around the field. The fun did not stop there but continued with the participants tying the rope to the door frame of the car and then jumping off the board through the window!
At the end of the day with the group standing round the mountain board, Dan was turning ideas over in his mind. ” Could you tie it to the back of a motorbike?” he said “Can’t see why not” came the reply.
There followed one of those moments in history when, although barely recognized at the time, the seed of a great idea is born. Dan looked at the board and then up at the stables, back to the board, and back to the stables, back to the board again and said. “Could you tie it to a horse?”
The Mountain Board
It’s like snowboarding but done on grass, dirt or pavement. With a mountainboard your terrain is limitless. We found this example at MBS Mountainboards located in Colorado for $399.95.
HORSEBOARDING UK
Horseboarding UK and Dead Pigeon Horseboarding team on the web:
