Equestrian Dzhigitovka | Russian Trick Riding

Weapons Phase Rules

The weapons phase is divided into sections: spear, pistol and throwing knife, sword, and bow and arrow. These sections are usually fitted into two rounds (one for the bow and one for everything else). However, if space is lacking, they may all be ridden separately. In this case, each section is timed and the times are totaled.
Weapons rounds are ridden to the right (that is, in a clockwise direction), with the exception of the bow and arrow round, which can be ridden to the right by left-handed riders and to the left by right-handed riders.
A single jump may also be set up on the course if the organizers see fit—a fence up to 80cm in height or a water jump up to a meter in length. Successfully clearing the jump grants 4 points; knocking it down or stepping on it has no positive or negative points; two refusals result in disqualification.
The winner of the weapons phase is determined by adding up the points of each rider in each section. If two riders are completely tied, the one with the faster time wins.

Spear

A spear for dzhigitovka competition should be 2.5-3 meters long and tapered, but not sharp, at the tip (nothing actually needs to be pierced, so best not to damage the targets). At rest, the spear is held in the right hand and pressed to the body in the right armpit. There are six types of target that can be included in the spear section; each requires a different type of strike. Most competitions include them all.

Basic right and left strikes—the rider turns the spear to hit a target (usually a soft ball suspended on a string). The impact of the strike must be visible, i.e. the target must move. Each of these strikes grants the rider 3 points.
Downward strike—because most riders are right-handed, these targets are usually placed to the right of the track. The target is a round piece of plastic or cloth on the ground. The rider must shift their grip on the spear, usually by tossing it, so that they can lower the tip, leaning off their horse if necessary to reach the ground. A hit is worth 3 points.
Backside” strike—this target is of the same type as the targets for basic strikes, but the rider must hit it with the “blunt” side of the spear. This strike is worth 4 points.
Straight strike (ring)—a ring is suspended on a hook that faces away from the rider. The rider must pick up this ring on their spear. For this the rider receives 5 points.
Spear throw—the target for this strike is a large hoop on a stand. The rider must throw the spear into this hoop. If it goes all the way through, even if it knocks the hoop over, the rider gets 4 points

Pistol

The “pistol” used for this sport is NOT a real pistol, it is an AIR pistol or bb gun. REAL FIREARMS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT COMPETITIONS. Targets for the pistol section are balloons about 20-25 cm in diameter. They are fixed to stands on the right, left, or both sides of the track, about 5-8 meters from the center of it. Typically they are on both sides, unless one side is too close to the spectators to allow for safe shooting. There is no limit on the number of targets, but a standard number is three. For each balloon popped the rider receives 4 points.

Throwing Knife

The knife can be a special throwing knife or any other type. The target for this section is a wooden block, 0.5 by 0.5 meters, three meters from the edge of the track to the right or left. This target must be 40 meters from the last target on the course, and there is only one such target. If the knife stays in the target, the rider gets 10 points.

Sword

The type of sword used for dzhigitovka is a traditional Cossack sword or shashka, which is about a meter long and slightly curved. Shashkas can be purchased in special stores in Russia or online. The types of target for the sword section are as follows:

”Vines”: these are not really vines, but slender branches about 90-100 cm in length and 2-3 cm in diameter, one meter off the ground and held vertical by stands. These can be placed to the right and left of the track for strikes in both directions, but the distance between them cannot be less than 7 meters. The strikes to hit these targets are diagonal, downward strikes. At competitions, a traditional Cossack hat, called a papaha, is placed on top of each branch. The branch should be sliced cleanly, not simply broken; if the slice is clean, then the hat will fall straight down and land on the stand. If it stays on the stand, the strike is counted and the rider receives 4 points.
Bottles: plastic 1.5 liter bottles full of water on two-meter stands. These can be placed to the right and left of the track and should be struck with horizontal blows. If the bottle is cut in half, the rider receives 4 points. If the bottom part of the bottle remains on the stand, the rider receives an extra 2 points for a total of 6 points. If only the cap of the bottle is cut off, that does not count—the strike has to be a bit lower.
Rope: a fairly thick rope, hanging vertically on a two-meter stand. The strike used to cut the rope is similar to that used for the vines, but slightly faster and with a steeper angle. The rope must be entirely severed, not partially ripped. If it is, the rider receives 4 points.
Ring: a ring, 10 cm in diameter, on a two-meter stand. Like in the spear section, this ring must be picked up and remain on the sword. For this, the rider receives 5 points.

A man shoots an arrow at a target from a running horse

Bow and Arrows

For the bow and arrow section, any type of bow can be used. There will be three targets, all circles 50 cm in diameter. The targets are set up 6-10 meters from the middle of the track, with no less than 30 meters between them. The rider must hit these targets with different shots, in the following order:

forward shot
side shot
backwards shot (the rider turns around, rides past the target, and shoots it facing backwards)

For the riders’ convenience, the forward and backward targets are angled slightly, while the side shot directly faces the track. Each arrow that hits the circle and stays in the target gives the rider 5 points.