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Cossacks Cutting with Sabre, Pricking with Lance

The final cord of “Sholokhov Spring-2016” was equestrian sports competitions, which took place at the racecourse near Krasnosyolovsky Village.

This time the horsemen competed in fancy riding and showed fighting techniques and skills used by Cossacks in battles.

The holiday began with the show of reformation and pace changing in the horsemen order by a joint platoon from Rostov-on-Don, Azov, Shakhti, Belaya Kalitva, Millerovo and the Oktyabrsky rural district. All they serve in mounted patrols maintaining public order in their towns.

In the main part of the competitions the Cossacks showed the elements: “withdrawal of the wounded”, horseback jumping over a lying horse, cutting with one and two sabres while galloping. To add zest, Cossacks from the Oktyabrsky district showed a back flip from the position of “standing on the saddle of the standing horse”, which was replied by the same technique but with a sabre in hand performed by the Azov horsemen.

There were shown races “standing on the saddle”, wielding a sabre and a lance at full gallop, back forward galloping and lying across the saddle galloping, jumping off and onto the saddle on the go, cutting a big bottle of water set on a Cossack’s head, jumping over a burning barrier and over the lance held ground parallel by a Cossack lying on the way of the horse.

Besides, the viewers saw many other tricks and techniques of horse racing and jumping.

In honour of the birthday of the great writer and to complete the equestrian competitions and the holiday “Sholokhov Spring”, a composite column of Cossack horsemen trotted round the racecourse.

Alexey Kochetov