129th Annual Horse Show 2018 (MURC) of A.M.U.Aligarh.

Our Girl Riders in 129th Annual Horse Show of MURC-AMU. Aligarh

Came again April--“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.Yes AMU. Aligarh campus too was in its full youth to witness the 129^th Annual Horse Show 2018.

Captain Tanseer Alam Khan and Riders (MURC) at  Parade of 129th Horse Show -AMU.Aligarh

This function is very popular among people of Aligarh. People of all age group and gender, young, old, kids, even from remote areas of city use to come to see this Horse Show.  

Tanseer Alam Khan (Captain-MURC-Aligarh) at Salute to chief guest

Had you ever read in fairy tale books: “Once upon a time, there was a king and queen having horse riding warriors?”.These stories turned in reality.

It was a Frenzied evening when this happened in reality on 30^th April 2018.It was 129^th Annual Horse Show 2018 (MURC) of A.M.U.Aligarh. The Prince and princess of Muslim University Riding Club (MURC) in their exquisite royal uniforms were at University Athelic Ground. Their riding skills and stunts were enough to stop breaths of viewing crowed.

The Chief Guest of the most awaited event was Prof.Dr.Tariq Mansoor. He launched the official website of the MURC and inaugurated the event by releasing balloons and pigeons.ADJ Naseem Ahmad attended the function as the Guest-of Honor. Professor S. Amjad Ali Rizvi, Secretary, University Games Committee and Dr Wasif Mohammad Ali, President, Riding Club were ther

Mr Tanseer Alam Khan ,Captain (MURC) with his team Talat Bin Saheb, Mohammad Javed, Zaid Mahmood, Areeb Salman, Abdul Wasi, Umar Mohammad , Arham  Ali Khan, Safi Abbas Kazmi, Shaghla Parveen and Sufia Khalid participated in March Past.

Later Mr Tanseer Alam Khan (Captain-MURC) offered standing Salute to Chief Guest Dr.Tariq Mansoor Vice Chancellor in a highly skilled style  and thrilled Equestrian Lovers with an amazing show of Riding Stunt.

Riders of MURC -129th Horse Show 2019 of AMU. Aligarh

The event was started by recital of Holy Quran. After Inauguration of 129^th Annual Horse Show 2018 (MURC) of A.M.U.Aligarh, March Past and Standing Salue,Girl and Boy Riders of MURC thrilled the audience by skills in in events of Musical Ride.Musical Chair, Show Jumping, Ladies Hacks, Individual Tent Pegging, Ball&Bucket,Carrot Cutting,Ring &Lemon,Pole Bending (Boys) Ring &Lemon,Pole Bending(Boys),Pole Bending (Girls),Team Tent Pegging,Indian File (Tent Pegging),Tripe Tent Pegging,Cross Tent Pegging,Fire Jump/Table Jump and Fancy Dress.

Our girls Riders too were master of these events.They never lag Male Riders. The events in horse-shows are extremely tricky and riders’ needs a lot of perfection to execute these tricks.

The girl student Riders of MURC--- Ms Nabila Zehra, Ms Shaghla Parveen , Ms Sufia Khalid  Ms Zain Majid, Ms Fariha Batool, Ms Nadia Khan, and Ms Akansha Sharma, Ms Fatima Rezavi, Kulsum Salahuddin, also presented their highly skilled talents.

Kulsum Salahuddin and M Maaz Khan Sherwani conducted the programme, while Tanseer Alam proposed the vote of thanks.

Princess of MURC-129 Th  Annual Horse Show 2019

The Riding club of A.M.U.Aligarh is a proud asset of this university.The club has a long and illustrious history, having many national records to its name; especially in tent-pegging.It is great honor for all Alig fraternity that Aligarh Muslim University’s Riding club is on the world map

Aligarh Muslim University is not only the Mecca of education. It is the only Indian university which has a 128 years old Riding Club in Varsity campus.

The club started when Sir Syed Ahmad Khan asked some landlords to send their horses to the college, so that the students could learn the art of horsemanship. The proposal was accepted and horse riding started in 1889.

Nawab Mohd. Ismail Khan Sherwani laid the foundation of the riding club, and also presented four horses. A formal riding school was founded in 1893, at the suggestion of Theodore Morison.Rs 5.00 were charged from each student and Rs 3.00 who brought their own horses at the start of the riding school.

The riders of this “MURC” have featured on the cover page of the prestigious “London Magazine”1974. MURC claims to be the only Riding Club in a central university in India.The club is open for both the sexes’ .The club also publishes an annual magazine 'Equestre'.

Aligarh Muslim University Riding Club has 77 Students riders out of which 17 are Female Riders. They are trained by their seniors and mentor.The events in horse-shows are extremely tricky and riders’ needs a lot of perfection to execute these tricks.Our girl Riders are master of these events.They never lag Male Riders.

MU Riding Club has 18 Horses in its stable.The name of these Horses are:Safeera,Tarana,ChandBibi,Dyna,Shamsheer,WhiteGold,junoon,Zargul,WhiteGold,junoon,Zargul,Bijli,Jasmine,Faris,Myra,Shaheen,Fiza,Moti,Sayyad,Ibra,Ran.

अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम  विश्वविद्यालय  के  राइडिंग  क्लब  में  5  नए  घोड़े  शामिल  हो  गए हैं। यह घोड़े आर्मी  से खरीदे गए हैं। ‘नाइट’ व ‘ब्रूनो’ की  मौत  के  बाद  से  राइडिंग  क्लब  के अस्तबल  में घोड़ों  की कमी महसूस की जा रही थी। नए घोड़ों को ट्रेंड कर मैदान में उतारा जाएगा।

अब  पांच नए घोड़े आने के बाद राइडिंग क्लब के अस्तबल में घोड़ों की संख्या 18 से बढ़कर 23 तक पहुंच गई है। नए घोड़े आर्मी से आए हैं और इनकी उम्र 3 से 5 वर्ष है। 4 आर्मी एवं 1 दूसरे स्थान से मंगाया गया है-

राइडिंग अस्तबल के ‘नाइट’ एवं ‘ब्रूनों’ की मौत के बाद से क्लब में घोड़ों की कमी महसूस की जा रही थी। कुछ घोड़ों की उम्र भी अधिक हो गई है। एएमयू के दीक्षांत समारोह अथवा सर सैयद डे समारोह के मुख्य अतिथि को बग्घी पर बिठाकर कार्यक्रम स्थल तक ले जाने की परंपरा हैं।

इसमें राइडिंग क्लब के घोड़े लगते हैं और क्लब के घुड़सवार सुरक्षा घेरा बनाकर मुख्य अतिथि के साथ चलते हैं।

वर्तमान समय में अस्तबल की शान जरगुल, जुनून, तराना एवं चांद बीबी हैं। चांद बीबी अपनी गति के कारण राजधानी एक्सप्रेस के नाम से भी जानी जाती हैं।जुनून  जंप  में  माहिर  है, तो तराना टेंट पैगिंग में  बेजोड़ है।

Tent Pegging

Tent pegging is a sport of the equestrian discipline, where the objective for a rider is to pierce, pick-up and carry a target, with a lance or a sword, as they gallop towards the target.

The term "tent pegging" is certainly related to the idea that cavaliers mounting a surprise pre-dawn raid on an enemy camp could use the game's skills to sever or uproot tent pegs, thus collapsing the tents on their sleeping occupants and sowing havoc and terror in the camp. 

When a Horse Jumps Over a Fence

The legs are stretched out while in the air, and the front legs hit the ground before the hind legs. Essentially, the horse takes the first two steps of a galloping stride on the take-off side of the fence, and the other two steps on the landing side. A horse has to collect its hindquarters after a jump to strike off into the next stride.

Insha Allah we will meet agin in 2019 (Agar zindagi rahi) to cover this Horse show for which I am very passionate.

Here I am ending this blog on 129^th Annual Horse Show 2018 (MURC) of A.M.U.Aligarh, with the note that my camera was full of exiciting memorable moments.At least for me it was very romancing to view the horses and riders through a camera lense. 

Clicking of galloping horses, stunts and skills of riders at a speed of 40 to 48   Km/h when horses seldom galloping more than 1.6 or 3.2 km before they need to rest was  a challenge for me.I accepted this challenge and captured some very fine moments.

Insha Allah we will meet again in 2019 (Agar zindagi rahi) to cover Horse show for which I am very passionate .I will try my best to capture more amazing and romancing clicks.

Written photographed and posted by Engr Maqbool Akram