Khosi Dlomo, a young equestrian enthusiast from South Africa, is not your average teenager. With grace and determination, she competes in tent pegging events across the country on her trusted horse, Yogi. A sport with military origins, tent pegging requires riders to gallop down a track and skillfully remove wooden pegs from the ground using a lance or sword.
“When you get a peg, it gives me an adrenaline rush,”
says Dlomo as she describes the thrill of hitting her target spot-on. In tent pegging, precision is key – each successful removal of a peg earns points, pushing riders to showcase their agility and horsemanship skills.
As the only black female registered in sub-Saharan Africa participating in tent pegging, Dlomo has broken barriers by excelling in a sport predominantly dominated by the white middle class.
“It’s an amazing honor and opportunity that I’ve been gifted with. But I also feel a bit of pressure and responsibility,”
she shares about her unique position as both a competitor and advocate for this niche equestrian discipline.
Tent pegging traces its roots back to medieval India before being introduced to South Africa during the Second Boer War by British cavalrymen. For Dlomo, her journey into this sport began serendipitously after attending a friend’s horse riding birthday party in Durban. Her passion for horse riding led her to discover tent pegging under the guidance of coach Dalene Baksa.
Overcoming initial safety concerns about handling weapons like lances and swords during training, Dlomo found unwavering support from her parents as she pursued her newfound passion for tent pegging. The cost-intensive nature of equestrian sports poses challenges for broader participation, with maintaining horses requiring significant financial investment.
According to BBC Africa,
“It takes a few months to get used to… but personally I wasn’t really that scared of the weapons,”
reflects Dlomo on adapting to the unique aspects of tent pegging training. She acknowledges the financial strain on her family due to expenses related to caring for multiple horses like Shadida, Baloo, and Yogi – essential partners in her competitive journey.
With ambitions beyond personal success on the field,
“[Dlomo] wants to use her platform to help grow the sport”
by raising awareness and accessibility particularly among younger demographics who remain unaware of this captivating equestrian discipline. Despite facing challenges such as dwindling participation at national championships,
“Dlomo helped South Africa achieve fifth place at [the] World Championships,”
showcasing both her individual talent and team spirit at international competitions.
For Dlomo,
“The fact that mentality is more important than physical strength makes [tent pegging] more egalitarian.”
She sees gender-neutral competition within tent pegging as empowering for women since selection is based primarily on skill rather than gender distinctions—an aspect that sets this sport apart with its emphasis on horsemanship prowess above all else.
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