Since centuries tent pegging has been an integral part of cultural celebrations in the land of five rivers. A game in vogue since times of Alexander, tent pegging has also been a war technique before the advent of modern weaponry. Later it flourished as Sikh Gurus formed their army of Nahang Warriors, and much later as a major equestrian sport with its ramifications such as show jumping, lemon cutting and other feats of cavalry during British era. After independence, tent pegging emerged as a prime sports and cultural activity and acclaimed popularity among horse lovers. Despite the partition, the game engaged a great number of spectators and the players on both sides of the border in the Punjab.
However, after 1947 when newly independent states of India and Pakistan struggled through turmoil of partition and started great leaps forward— sometimes successful— sometime failure for modernization, the game came under clouds because of lack of state patronage which ultimately diversified to more glitzy more glamorous games like cricket and squash. Public interest in the cities thus diverted to these games of glamour, yet the landlords, bourgeoisie and the rural folk kept it alive. Funds were provided by them, horses reared, playfields maintained and tent peggers encouraged participating; who were paid sufficient amounts to go on gracefully with the game. This has kept the centuries old game of tent pegging still alive even though the competition from the urban games which lack the grace but do have a lot of pomp and show has really been tough.
