The Australian Ladies Tentpegging Team is excited to be heading to the NAMPO 2025 Championships in Bredasdorp, South Africia from 7 to 14 September for a clash between South Africa and Australia in the Western Cape.

The team competed together for the first time since selection at the Australian Tentpegging Association National competition in Gilgandra NSW in early August and won the A grade National Title.

It was a great leadup to the international competition and has been the only opportunity the full team has had to ride together, due to distance of where team members live.

Tentpegging originated in the military and today is a highly skilled equestrian competition that is precise and fast paced with a team of four riders, aiming to pick up their peg that measures 30cm x 7.5cm.

The team is managed by Jo Watson from Cornishtown, coached by Kerry Bryant from Indigo Valley, captained by Donna Davidson from Chiltern, and includes Christine Staats from Indigo Valley, Taylah Smith from QLD, and Brodie Chandler from Echuca.

Tentpegging is an exciting equestrian sport where riders aim to pick up a peg with a sword or lance while riding at a gallop and has been practised by mounted riders since at least the 4th century BC.

The Australian Light Horse (www.lighthorse.org.au) used tentpegging as a training exercise during World War 1.

The Australian Light Horse has been demonstrating tentpegging at Royal Shows as far back as the 1930s.

The last time an Australia ladies team went overseas they were second at the World Cup Championships in 2018 held in Oman.

Three of the current team members were also in that team - Donna, Christine and Taylah.

Jo said the team is all self-funded, apart from some sponsorship for the cost of part of the uniform.

"In previous years the Open team have been very successful in Dubai, India, England, Pakistan and Germany," she said.

"The Australian Open team consisting of men and women (Donna and Christine from the current ladies’ team) won the event in 2019.

"It's a purely amateur sport and we pay our own way so going overseas is no easy thing, and a big commitment by all those involved.

"We'd like to acknowledge the people who have made donations of support, it has been amazing, and also the sponsorship from IGNITION ASV Echuca.

"We also thank The South Africa Tentpegging Association for inviting us and giving us the opportunity to compete with them in Bredasdorp, and thank the ATA for accepting the offer from South Africa so we are able to go."

The team is open to sponsors to support this campaign - contact Jo Watson at jo.watson1962@outlook.com.

Donna said the entire team was rapt with the national title result.

"We were quietly confident about doing well at the Australian Tentpegging Nationals held in Gilgandra NSW and extremely pleased with our winning result," she said.

"We aim to do Australia proud in South Africa.

"All the riders are very competent horsewomen who have been riding in many disciplines for many years.

"They all started there riding career in the great association of pony club."

In Australia, riders use their own horse, but overseas they are balloted horses.

In Australia the breed of horses varies greatly, but they must be over 14.2 hands high and be very versatile.