Tentpegging originated in the North West frontier of India and was taken up by the soldiers of the British Cavalry to use as practice for mounted warfare.
The term ‘tentpegging’ is related to a battle tactic used by cavalry where a pre-dawn raid on an enemy camp would take place with riders severing or uprooting tent pegs, thus collapsing the tents on their sleeping occupants, and reaping havoc and terror in the camp.
Today, the sport is practised in many countries, mainly by civilian and light horse. It involves a mounted horseman riding at a gallop, and using a sword or a lance to pierce, pick up and carry away a small ground target (a symbolic tent peg) or series of small ground targets.