… and to think this took place in the middle of New York City, and probably even in an indoor riding arena …

from the April 3, 1897, issue of Rider and Driver:

“The Rough Riding Club of New York will give a grand mounted tournament at Durland’s [Riding Academy], on Saturday evening, the 10th [of April, 1897]. In addition to the full-dress military drill, with lance and sabre, there will be contests at tent-pegging between the New York team and a team from the Brooklyn Riding and Driving Club, wrestling on horseback [huh??], single-stick cockade melee [what??], broadsword combat, Cossack riding and vaulting, and as a finale, a realistic attack  upon a fort with rifles, artillery, and mounted lancers.”

[Wow.]