'I don't want it to die' - The black teen pioneer preserving cavalry sport
Khosi Dlomo competes in tent pegging events across South Africa on her horse Yogi
- Published
Riding on a galloping horse with a lance in her right hand, Khosi Dlomo's face is a picture of concentration as she sizes up her target.
The South African teenager has little margin for error in her chosen sport of tent pegging.
The equestrian discipline has military origins, with competitors riding down a track before attempting to remove a small wooden peg from the ground with either a lance or sword.
"When you get a peg, it gives me an adrenaline rush," Dlomo told BBC Sport Africa.
"The competitive nature gives me an energy boost."
Carrying the peg away cleanly gives you six points, while striking it out of the ground secures four points and merely leaving a mark on the target gets two points.
With a maximum of 192 points on offer over the course of 32 attempts - and the pegs decreasing in height from 60mm to 40mm between rounds - riders are also evaluated on their skills in the saddle.
"Tent pegging is a mind game," Dlomo said.
"When you get on the horse, you need to know what your job is in order to make sure you work together.
"You have to multitask, have very good horsemanship and know how to take care of yourself."
As the only black female ed in tent pegging in sub-Saharan Africa, Dlomo's skills have taken her all the way to the sport's World Championships.
She has also become an unlikely advocate for a sport she stumbled upon by chance as a six-year-old.
"It's an amazing honour and opportunity that I've been gifted with. But I also feel a bit of pressure and a responsibility."
Early strides as a 'reckless' child
Dlomo goes through several different drills, including target practice, at her training base in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal to prepare for competition
Tent pegging originated in medieval India, but was spread to South Africa by British cavalrymen during the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902.
Growing up in the suburbs of Durban, Dlomo's introduction to it came following a birthday party for a school friend.
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