Martial Equestrian

This guy, going all out, took the prize. The $4k mounted archery-specific saddle he got just for the event didn’t win, but the mindset he had when he bought it might have.

Spitting arrows downrange in the rain. It would be poetic if it didn’t mean we had to walk.

Good performance from our competitors. This is tricky stuff with wet hands and wet gear.

I try to run our cavalry school like a boxing gym and tell our cavalry that they should box (or have boxed) at least a little. So here you go, cavalry: a little inspiration.

I know this isn't happening in a Martial arts vaccuum--there's a lot of ethno-cultural matter going on here--but don't overthink it. Enjoy the fact that it's a boxer invoking cavalry before a fight.

Polish heavyweight boxer Damian Knyba made his ringwalk dressed as a Winged Hussar during his January 10, 2026 fight against Agit Kabayel at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany Knyba entered the arena wearing the iconic wings associated with the Polish Winged Hussars. The Winged Hussars were the elite heavy cavalry of Poland from the 16th to the 18th century. They are best known for defending Christian Europe, most famously at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, where they helped halt the Ottoman advance into the West. Their wings and armor became lasting symbols of courage, faith, and resistance in defense of Christian civilization. #jesus #poland #damianknyba #christianity

Sometimes you just have to go for it.

Our very own indefatigable Liz put Oberon through his first formal mounted archery competition. There’s so much more to it than just having a horse that will run down a track for you. It is fundamental stuff, but this is the hard part of horses, getting them to reliably and safely do all the little things that make events possible without incident.

Great job to Liz for showing up. Great job to Oberon for being so well-behaved at a new place. Very smooth experience all around.

“A good cavalry unit has to travel light. No, if I were to do it again, I’d still leave the Gatling guns behind.” —George Armstrong Custer

Weighing down your horses in a fight defeats the purpose of horses in a fight. It’s worth mentioning that Custer’s light cavalry was defeated by _lighter_ cavalry.

"Riding is a skill, and skill can't be bought."

Why It’s Called the “Bombproof Riding System” For those of you new to horses and unfamiliar with horse vernacular, there is a term for a horse that doesn’t spook: a “bombproof horse.” “Bombproof Riding,” and the resultant “Bombproof Rider,” ar…