GROVEPORT, Ohio — Barsa Club USA hosted Jashn-e-Pak America 2026 on August 29 at Barsa Farm House in Groveport, bringing together traditional tent pegging, Pakistani cultural programming, live entertainment and family activities for a day-long community celebration.
Hosted by Chaudhry Iftikhar Barsa and organized with the Midwest Tent Pegging Association, the gathering placed tent pegging — widely known across South Asia as neza bazi — at the center of the event.
Riders demonstrated the speed, precision and horsemanship required in the traditional mounted sport, while the wider festival offered cultural performances, food, children's activities, horse and pony rides, a petting zoo, henna, face painting and entertainment.
The musical program promoted performances by Sagar Brothers and Sadia Malik.
Under the theme “Uniting Cultures, Honoring Traditions, Inspiring Futures,” the event combined Pakistani heritage with the experience of a community building its future in the United States.
Tarar and Jesse Join a Wide Gathering of Distinguished Guests
Jashn-e-Pak America welcomed a large number of distinguished guests, community leaders, civic representatives and prominent personalities, joining riders, organizers and families throughout the celebration.
Among them were Dr. Sajid Tarar, Chairman of Muslims of America, and Dr. Jasdip Singh “Jesse,” Chairman of Sikhs of America, who attended as distinguished guests and participated in several of the day's community and stage activities.
Event photographs show Tarar and Jesse interacting with organizers and guests and appearing together during stage presentations.
Dr. Sajid Tarar also participated in presenting awards to competitors, recognizing riders whose skill and dedication contributed to the success of the equestrian competition.
Aisha Khan was also among the community figures attending the gathering and was photographed with Dr. Jesse during the event.
The participation of Tarar and Jesse was particularly notable because it reinforced the wider intercommunity character of Jashn-e-Pak America. While firmly rooted in Pakistani culture, the celebration provided a platform where representatives of different faiths, communities and civic backgrounds could come together around heritage, friendship and community engagement.
The event material also identified U.S. Congressman Mike Carey as a special guest, adding a civic dimension to the celebration. Numerous other invited guests and community representatives participated throughout the gathering.
Tradition Finds a Home in Ohio
For Pakistani-American families, Jashn-e-Pak America offered more than entertainment.
Tent pegging has deep roots in South Asian equestrian culture, and presenting the sport in Ohio gives younger Pakistani-Americans an opportunity to experience a tradition familiar to generations before them.
The repeated presence of Pakistani and American flags throughout the gathering captured that connection particularly well: heritage from Pakistan being celebrated openly within contemporary American community life.
For Chaudhry Iftikhar Barsa and Barsa Club USA, the event demonstrated how a traditional sport can remain alive while finding a new audience thousands of miles from its historical setting.
By the end of the day, Jashn-e-Pak America had become more than an equestrian competition. It was a gathering of riders, families, performers, distinguished guests and community leaders around a shared celebration of culture and connection.
In Groveport, an old equestrian tradition found a distinctly Pakistani-American stage — preserving a connection to the past while creating new memories for the generation growing up in America.
