Germany's first hobby horsing championship got underway in Frankfurt, with hundreds of young riders competing in time jumping, style jumping and dressage on their wooden stick horses. Roughly 300 riders—mostly youngsters, but there are about 20 adults enrolled—are expected to canter around a gymnasium, watched by 1,500 spectators. The competition is part of a growing wave of hobby horsing events internationally: the United States and Australia also held their first championships this year. "Hobby horsing just gives me self-confidence, and I just enjoy doing it with other people," said Max Gohde, a 15-year-old competitor from Gifhorn, Germany, who has been practicing since 2020. "And now there's also this atmosphere here, where everyone is just happy for you. And I think that's just really cool." The events stemmed from a grassroots movement in Finland, where riders trotted their hobby horses through Nordic forests more than 20 years ago. The pastime has since exploded in popularity through social media during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and it has been credited with highlighting female empowerment for enthusiasts. "Of course, when you see it like that, it looks funny at first. In fact, it really is a strenuous sport. It's a mixture of athletics and gymnastics, and you need to be in good shape for it," said Andreas Karasek, managing director of public relations for the German Hobby Horsing Association. Britta Skott, who has been practicing for three years, thinks that the sport is "incredibly fun" and enables people to "live out their passion for horses without having to sit on real horses." Julia Mikkonen, head of the Finnish Hobbyhorse Association, said hobby horsing combines Finnish handcrafting culture—some riders make and decorate their own sticks and stuffed horse heads—with gymnastics and sport. In Germany, the national hobby horsing association was established a year ago with just 13 members. Now, there are more than 5,000 active athletes and more than 200 clubs across the country. This article was provided by The Associated Press.