Competing in Seoul 2014 - Day 2, Oct 11, 2014

The competition site for horseback archery in Seoul was the dressage arena for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.  Today the site is dominated by a huge race course that is the main draw (the towers in the background below overlook the ends of the racetrack).
 

Day 2 of competition featured an opening ceremony that included a representative from each country.  A fun part of mounted archery is the costumes competitors wear.  Often these are rooted in the traditional garb of the competitors' countries.  I say rooted because historically women did not participate in what was an exclusively samurai activity in Japan.

For some countries, like the USA, "traditional garb" is tricky because, while mounted archery is a part of the history of the country, few competitors can claim a personal connection to Native America.

As a result, competition garb becomes more a reflection of personal taste, imagination, and/or comfort. (Go Teen Team USA!)

Go Horse Archers!