Marathon and competition in show-jumping of “heavenly” horses were held in Ashgabat
April 26, 2018 | 15:24 |1846
Turkmenistan is getting prepared to the celebration of the holiday of the Turkmen Horse, celebrated annually on the last Sunday of April. In the framework of the program of events on the occasion of the Turkmen Horse Festival were art exhibitions, concerts, and contests. Of course, the Horse’s holiday cannot be imaged without sports competitions designed to demonstrate not-only power and high-speed qualities of the Akhal-Teke horses, but also the skill of their riders. On April 25, near the southern foothill valley of the capital along Kopetdag Avenue was a traditional equestrian marathon 60 kilometers long. Since time immemorial, the athletic endurance of the unique Akhal-Teke horses while overcoming long distances was tested this way. The current horse marathon gathered numerous domestic and foreign fans of “heavenly” horses. About 30 Akhal-Teke horses aged from 4 to 14 took part in the competition. The route of the marathon consisted of two stages of 30 kilometers and was laid along a rough terrain along Kopetdag Avenue.Maya AMANMURADOVA
The competitions made it possible to see the excellent physical fitness and endurance of the Akhal-Teke, demonstrated the ability of the riders correctly to consider the physical capabilities of the horse over long distances, clearly demonstrated the achievements of domestic breeders and stablemen.
Performances of bakhshi, colorful decoration of yurts, and demonstration of the art of dzhigitovka - all served as a background for a long marathon and promoted the popularization of Turkmen culture and art.
In the afternoon, numerous residents and guests of the capital gathered in the open arena of the equestrian center of Ashgabat, where competitions were held on show- jumping (overcoming obstacles).
Traditional horseracing has been popular with Turkmens since time immemorial. However, the Turkmen horsemen, being by nature unsurpassed dzhigits, show good results in a relatively young form of competitions – show-jumping. The competitions demonstrated the high skill of the riders in the art of controlling horses and they, in turn, once again confirmed that the Akhal-Teke horse has by nature not only perfect general physical preparation, but also the ability to keep balance when overcoming obstacles.
The announcement of the results of the competitions, as well as the awarding of the winners will be held on Sunday during the forthcoming celebrations on the occasion of the Turkmen Horse's Day.
