Moonwalking pony becomes YouTube hit

Any seasoned horse rider should be familiar with the rules of dressage. Defined by the Fédération Equestre Internationale as an activity where the "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements", this competition is adored by many participants and spectators alike.
Although these events are usually best enjoyed live or on the television, I may have found a very entertaining variant recently while browsing videos on YouTube.

Three, a mobile phone company, has recently uploaded a clip onto the website which shows a Shetland pony pulling off some really snazzy moves. Dancing to Fleetwood Mac's 'Everywhere', the equine star only stops his moonwalk when someone drives past on a tractor.
As a rider wasn't involved in the pony's performance, I doubt we can really compare this video to dressage – but can you imagine this moonwalking equine in a competition? I bet the animal would do rather well!
Now that the video has gone viral – with more than a million hits since I started writing this blog – hopefully Three will give the pony a nice present, such as a new horse rug.
Closing the advert, the clip ends with the caption, "Silly stuff. It matters." – which is coincidentally what I try and write about when I do these articles...

Olympic equestrian team to dance Gangnam Style

If you participate in equestrianism, or have been conscious these past few months, you have probably listened – willingly or unwillingly – to Gangnam Style.  After millions of views on YouTube, the song became world famous – claiming the number one spot in countries such as the UK, Finland, Malaysia, and Latvia.

Featuring a dance where participants pretend to ride a horse, individuals such as David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and even the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have ‘strutted their stuff' to this tune.

The Korean pop hit could possibly be compared to Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. Yet, regardless of everyone's thoughts on the matter, the Olympic equestrian team are dancing to Gangnam Style for Children in Need.

The athletes, including Zara Phillips – the Queen's Granddaughter – will reportedly be performing the routine wearing equestrian clothing, including riding hats, (Click here to see our riding hats) all to raise money during the charity telethon.

I would be interested to see how our Olympic team actually handle Gangnam Style's zany moves, as unlike many participants, the athletes actually have a great deal of experience in horse riding. Logically, they shouldn't feel completely out of their depths.

Children in Need, which attempts to raise money for disadvantaged children and young people, broadcasts on Friday the 16th of November. We wish the charity all the best and hope it succeeds in this thoroughly worthy goal.

Photo © yonghokim via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence