1962

The Army's First Pentathlon Team

Ronald Bastian

The Time Circa 1962

The Place: 1st Field Regiment RAA - Holsworthy

The Event:  The creation of the "Mighty" Army Pentathlon team.

The Creator:  Captain Richard Arthur Ashley Riddle or CAPT R.A.A. Riddle.

In order to create this mighty "Machine", Capt. Riddle weaved his magical persuasion and somehow procured a small fat pony which was to be used for practicing the equestrian "jumps" that is very much a part of this sport.

He also managed to convince the Quartermaster to let us use the 9mm Browning Pistols from the Regimental "QM's  safe, including ammunition. So, apart from taking turns at bouncing up and down on the fat pony, we "shot up" a lot of tin cans on the little range behind the camp and poked holes in each other with an epee under the guidance of an amateur fencer from 111 LAA Battery.

I am sure nobody seriously thought we would ever become a competitive team of pentathletes...but it was a lot better than sitting around the "Q" Store or picking up papers for the RSM.

Needless to say, the team didn't last too long, and, I often wondered whatever happened to that little fat pony. One team member who was a plumpish little guy once declared that, as the pony and he were similarly "rotund", he was never going to be able to stay mounted for more than a few yards before falling off.

That same week we had a particularly "chewy" beef stew on the menu..oh well che sara, sara.