Is it athletics? Is it equestrianism? These are the questions that have been puzzling the local prefecture in Haute-Garonne after the launch of a new association celebrating the timeless appeal of hobby horsing.
Thanks to a successful campaign led by Alexandrine Golfier and daughter Noélie, Sandrine Singeot and daughter Elizaveta, and Liudmila Pokrovski and daughter Inaya, ‘HoP’La’ officially launched its first activities in September.
And while it has not been straightforward to categorise, the families from Villefranche-de-Lauragais believe they have created an exciting new club for pony-mad youngsters.
"It seems we are the first hobby horse association in France,” said Alexandrine Golfier, president of HoP’La.
“For us, it falls somewhere in between athletic performance and a love for horses. However, we don’t fully meet the criteria for either category.”
Horsing around
The idea came when Ms Golfier’s daughter Noélie started watching hobby horse videos on TikTok and started practising in their garden.
“She quickly became passionate about the activity,” said Ms Golfier.
“Since 2023, she’s been keen to participate in competitions, but unfortunately they were all too far from where we live.
“I jokingly suggested she create her own competition. She took me seriously, along with her two friends, Inaya and Elizaveta, and they began planning what their competition could look like – courses, refreshments, prizes, rounds, the height of jumps, and so on.”
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Noélie, Inaya and Elizaveta have been friends since they were three. In a bid to set up the association, they presented their project to Thomas Bonnafous, the local conseiller municipal délégué au sport, who was impressed by the professionalism and determination of the now 12-year-old girls.
The benefits of hobby horsing are similar to other sports. There is the physical element of jumping over obstacles, running and personal achievement, as well as the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and bond over a common passion.
Members are also encouraged to embrace their creativity and self-expression to design and make their own hobby horses, which can have bridles, halters, leads, ropes and reins.
“In short, it’s about sports, social connections and creativity,” said Ms Golfier.
HoP’La launched its monthly meet-ups in September in the municipal gymnasium, adjacent to the local high school.
Sessions last 3.5 hours on Sunday afternoons with the opportunity for members to take part in different workshops including jumping, completing courses and more creative activities.
The rising popularity of hobby horsing has been credited to Finland, which started practising it competitively in 2002. The Hobby Horse Riders Australia (HHRA) hosted what is believed to be the first hobby horse championships in Australia in June this year.
However, hobby horsing is by no means a modern fad, as historical references throughout the centuries testify.
As early as 35BC the Roman poet Horace wrote: “He gallops on horseback on a stick... He is a madman!”
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, written between 1599 and 1601, also alludes to it – “For oh, for oh, the hobby horse is forgotten” (although some have since questioned whether this was a derogatory term for a promiscuous woman).
Several paintings during the Middle Ages depict hobby horses, including Jeanne Vergouwen’s Heures d’Antoine le Bon (1533) and Bruegel the Elder’s Children's Games (1560). In England, May Day festivals and Morris folk dancers have long incorporated hobby horse costumes.
In 2019, the International Equestrian Federation (IEF) announced that hobby horsing had been proposed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for inclusion as a new entry in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
While it never made the cut, there are precedents in France – the Championnat du monde du cheval à deux pattes returned for its third edition in 2023 (after a three-year absence.
Nevertheless, the team behind HoP’La insists more must be done to popularise the sport, not least to silence some of the sniggering from critics.
“When articles about our association first appeared in the local and national press, the comments were often disrespectful, even completely out of line,” said Ms Golfier.
“Only a small minority supported the initiative.
“Fortunately, we don't get discouraged easily - it only motivates us to do more to popularise the hobby horse.”
Ms Golfier added: “We, as mums, are putting in a lot of energy into developing this association, which was born out of our daughters' passion.
“It's also a wonderful way to share something special with them. We’re all on an extraordinary adventure, one that allows the six of us to discover new aspects of each other. Working together is a real pleasure.”
The HoP’La team hopes to celebrate its first year with a competition in June. It will be open to non-members with the aim of encouraging more hobby horse enthusiasts to participate.
