A new sport that puts a horse and rider through their paces is growing in popularity in Ontario.
It's Xtreme Cowboy Competitions.
The President of The Ontario Xtreme Cowboy Association made a presentation at Horse Day at Grey Bruce Farmers' Week.
Lantz McLaren says the sport is based on the actual work a horse and rider may do on a farm or ranch.
It involves putting the horse and rider through a course that includes jumps, bridges and gates and also tests for lateral and backwards movement.
But the course is never the same twice from competition to competition.
And it could be outside on grass or at a show ring inside.
Men and women compete on an equal footing in different age divisions.
McLaren says it's great fun both for the rider and the horse but the horse is the most important.
"You really need to develop a brave trusting communicative horse. Your horse has to be able to understand that you're going to send it through a challenge that it's capable of and it has to believe in itself," said McLaren.
Xtreme Cowboy competitions are mostly at fall fairs and usually with cash prizes.
There are provincial championships and McLaren hopes to go to the world championship competition this year in the U-S.
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McLaren says men and women compete on an equal footing in different age divisions.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/HORSE-McLaren-1.mp3"][/audio]
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McLaren says it's great fun for both the horse and the rider.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/HORSE-McLaren-2.mp3"][/audio]