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This past weekend, Israel's equestrian championship took place in the city of Ramat Gan. Israeli horseback riders from around the country gathered to ride, show jump and compete against one another. The sport has developed in Israel over the last 20 years or so. Special horses are imported from Europe with Israeli riders aspiring to reach international athletic standards in the near future.

The equestrian sport involves two athletes - the rider and the horse as well. So while the riders train and emotionally prepare for their competition, in the meantime, a team of caretakers prepares the horses for their moment of truth. Show jumping is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete with each other. Age, sex or physical build are not factors in succeeding, whereas precision and the ability to control the horse are.

Sivan Raviv, JN1, Ramat Gan.