the 15th to the 19th century, and both teams played jereed matches as well as putting on exhibitions for the sultans.
The 'cündi' demonstrated extraordinary skill. They could shoot arrows while standing atop their saddles, or remove their saddles at full gallop, slinging them round their necks and then back on their horse's backs again. Or, the horseman would place an orange on his assistant's head and then shoot it off while riding full speed. Some riders could stand astraddle two horses galloping side by side, while others could stand on their heads in the saddle, their legs waving in the air. One was able to ride standing on one leg and swing his body down below his horse's neck as it ran. Some used a javelin instead of an arrow. We can see from 16th century miniatures that some of the sultans even exhibited these skills: Sultan Mehmed II depicted is shooting arrows at a golden pumpkin mounted on a pole while riding at a full gallop. At a festival in 1582, horsemen were challenged with a moving target. A human statue is held up by an iron band round its waist allowing it to rotate easily on its axis. In one hand it holds a sack of rocks, in the other a round shield.