At Cimahi Cavalry Field, the Knightly Tradition Is Being Rekindled

The sound of horse hooves cut through the morning air at the Cavalry Field Horse Riding Ground of Pussenkav in Parongpong, Cimahi. Under the gaze of the coaches, a dozen students from SMA Taruna Nusantara (TN) Cimahi Campus appeared to be maintaining balance on the saddles while guiding their horses.

For some students, it was their first experience of riding. Yet behind this initial training, SMA Taruna Nusantara Cimahi is seeking to build something larger: a new tradition of character education through equestrian sport.

Around 20 to 25 students took part in the early training of the newly formed horse riding extracurricular. The programme is the first ever horse riding club in the history of SMA Taruna Nusantara. The training comprises not only ordinary riding but also horseback archery and a mounted parade.

In the Taruna Nusantara environment, synonymous with discipline and leadership, horse riding is seen not merely as a sport. There are mental values to be cultivated through the relationship between rider and horse: courage, calm, self-control, and the ability to make decisions.

Team coordinator and chair of the TN Cimahi Horse Riding Club, Junio Salahuddin Siradj, said the sport has a philosophy close to shaping the character of future leaders.

“Horse riding is not merely a sport. This is a knightly sport. It encompasses bravery, discipline, calm, focus, leadership, and the ability to control oneself,” said Junio.

For the students, riding a horse is not as easy as it might seem. They must learn to build communication with the animals they ride, control fear, and maintain concentration.

In the saddle, there is no room for excessive nervousness. The horse can sense the rider’s tension. Therefore, horseriding training also becomes training in emotional control.

Head of SMA Taruna Nusantara Cimahi Campus, Major General TNI Ardiansyah, said the extracurricular aligns with the school’s spirit of shaping a generation of youths with character and leadership.