Thursday 19th May 2011
Equestrian Festival 2011


The Marsa Horse Racing Track will be hosting on Sunday, June 5, the second edition of the Equestrian Festival which is being organised by the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport with the collaboration of the Malta Rcing Club, the Malta Equestrian Federation and the Malta Polo Club.

This year the Equestrian Festival will feature novelties, the first of which was the pre-event that the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport hosted today on Thursday 19th may 2011 at the Marsa Racing Track.

An audience of over 1000 students from schools all over Malta, packed the stands at the Marsa Racing club and enjoyed a taste of the forthcoming festival.

An exciting element of the programme was the pony racing with young drivers having a go at horse racing.

A gymkhana where young riders raced to complete a set patterns in the shortest time was also held. Gymkhana is an action packed, precision sport which requires speed together with the ability to turn quickly and remain controlled.

This activity also brought together other young maltese sporting talents who delighted all those present with a BMX display, while students enjoyed themselves at giving a try to a Zumba Session.

Some selected students also had the opportunity to take part in races, riding alongside established riders and cheered by their fellow school mates.

The Highlight of this Pre-Equestrian Event was Shooting World Champion William Chetcuti who was available for a question and answer session with the students as well as for signing authographs.

Details about the 2nd Edition of the Equestrian Festival, were given in a Press Conference addressed by Mr Pippo Psaila, Chairman of the Equestrian Festival Organising Commitee, together with Mr Bernard Vassallo, Chairman of Kunsill Malti għall-Isport and Dr Matthew Brincat, Chairman of Malta Racing Club, Mr Julian Mamo, president of Malta Polo Club and Mr Ronald Gaerty president of Malta Equestrian Sport Federation.

On the 5th of June, the programme will commence with Pony Races at 7:00am which will be followed by a Horse and Animal Blessing at 9:00am.

The general public can expect a fun-filled festival for all ages and will have the opportunity to see at close hand and experience the excitement of various equestrian disciplines.

Equestrian Sport is all about the skill and art of riding horses.

Horses involved in Equestrian Sport are trained for racing, polo, dressage, vaulting with the objective of showing off the skill of the rider and the horse.

The equestrain programme will include Dressage, Quadrilles (to music), Gymkhana and a parade with riders and flags. Dressage is an ‘Olympic’ discipline wherein horse and rider combine to undertake a given ‘test’ within a confined space measuring 60 x 20 metres.


A polo match will also take place. Polo is a dynamic equestrian team sport played on horseback in which the objective of the game is to move the polo ball down-field, hitting it, with the use of long-handled mallets, through the goal post for a score against an opposing team.

The afternoon programme will then be dedicated to the most popular of all equine disciplines, i.e. racing. The morning and afternoon programme will also include Pony Racing where different horse sizes will compete in a variety of races, ranging from the smallest of ponies to the faster locally bred ones.

Racing will include a double heat for Gold and Silver Class horses over a distance of 1640m, were horses will be running the heat and final on the same day. Another final on the short distance of 1640 for the Premier Class, the top class in Malta, will also be held together with a Flat race for galop horses.

Everyone is invited to come and spend the day at the Malta Racing Club to experience a unique national event and the excitement around horse racing, polo, dressage and various activities involving the skill of the riders and their horses.

Entrance tickets are being offered at a special reduced price of €2.50 for the whole day. Gates open at 7.00am and the Equestrian Festival will come to an end at 19:45.

Buses available to the Malta Racing Club racing track include 88, 89, 91 (in front of Maltapost office).

The success of today’s pre-Equestrian event for students, witnessed through the way in which all the kids enjoyed themselves throughout the show, augurs well for the Equestrian Festival itself.

This event would not be possible without the support of the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport together with the collaboration of the Malta Racing Club, the Malta Equestrian Federation and the Malta Polo Club