Gymkhana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Gymkhana also refers to a motorsport competition class which looks somewhat like Autocross or autoslalom crossed with drifting.
Gymkhana (derived from the Hindi (or Hindustani) word for "racket court"[1]) is an Indian term for a place where sporting events take place and refers to any of various meets at which contests are held to test the skill of the competitors, such as in the sports of equestrianship, gymnastics, or sports car racing.
More generally, Gymkhana referred (and still refers) to a social and sporting club in the Indian Subcontinent, and in other Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Burma and Singapore, as well as East Africa.
In the United Kingdom, the term gymkhana now almost always refers to an equestrian event, often with the emphasis on children's participation (such as those organised by the Pony Club), although in the past the word was sometimes used for motorsport events.
In equestrian competitions, gymkhana classes are timed speed events such as barrel racing, keyhole, keg race (also know as "down and back"), and pole bending. In the western United States, this type of competition is usually called "O-Mok-See" (also spelled O Mok See or "Omoksee") competition, a term derived from a Native American phrase meaning "games on horseback."
