The sports hall in Vantaa, outside Helsinki, is packed with nearly 1,000 people seated on the benches, eagerly watching the court.
Awaiting the riders, an equestrian course is set up in the middle, replete with hurdles.
But there is no sound of animals, no swish of tails or clopping of hooves. The horses competing at the Finnish Hobby Horsing Championships are made of wood and wool.
The battle is on and even though the creatures are made of fabric and glue, it is a very serious business.
Horses tucked between their legs, 200 participants jump over hurdles or steer their horses elegantly from right to left in a trotting gait.
Hobby horsing is well on its way to becoming a recognized sporting discipline in Finland. Some 10,000 people actively participate in the sport, mostly girls aged between 10 and 18, says hobby horsing association SKY.
“So far, we aren’t regarded as athletes, but we’re working on gaining greater acceptance,” says 20-year-old Venla Maria Uutela, the association’s president and author of two books about her unusual hobby.
The hobby horse has not been seen as merely a toy in Finland since the 1980s, but the sport is now really truly making a breakthrough.
“At the start, many people made fun of riding on a stick,” says Uutela.
But rather than shrinking away, the enthusiasts sought the public eye. Last year, 200 of them marched in a parade through Helsinki, chanting, “Respect the hobby horse.”
“We wanted to be seen and show that we’re proud of who we are and what we do,” Uutela says.
Ada Filppa, 16, from Naantali, is glowing with pride. She won the championship title in the dressage category.
She trains on her hobby horses four to five times a week. Sometimes in the woods or out on the street or in the garden behind her house, where she set up an obstacle course.
“For me, hobby horse riding means freedom,” says Filppa. “I can do whatever I want. Nobody can tell me what to do, there are no rules I have to follow and I don’t need any equipment.” It’s also great fun. “If I’m having a bad day, I just go off with my hobby horse, and then I’m happy.”
People do sometimes look at her strangely, says Filppa, who is still at school. She doesn’t care, she says. “Many of my friends have hobby horses too.” And anyone who makes silly comments about her hobby isn’t her friend anyway.
Ada also rides real horses, but that’s completely different, she says. “Hobby horse riding suits me better; it’s easier and I’m better at it too.”
Club president Uutela says the sport is so popular as anyone can ride a hobby horse if they just have a bit of imagination. Some see it as exercise, others feel challenged to make an original horse.
If you aren’t sure how, you can watch tutorials on YouTube. You need a broomstick, fabric, fur, wool, foam and sewing skills – depending on what sort of horse you want.
Ada has seven horses, some of which she made herself. “But I’m not particularly proud of that,” she says, laughing.
The fact that this hobby is becoming increasingly well-known around the world is in part thanks to director Selma Vilhunen, whose documentary “Hobbyhorse Revolution” won two awards at the Tampere Film Festival in Finland.
It has since been screened at festivals in Switzerland and the US, showing the pursuits of a group of girls. Hobby horse riding is about friendship and solidarity, and about standing up for one another, her film shows.
Vilhunen is full of admiration for hobby horse culture. “Everyone can be themselves there,” she told Finnish broadcaster YLE.
“The group has a strong internal democracy; we can learn a lot from the girls.”