Local Derby: ‘People now know the value of their horses’
Three-day horse show ends in Rajanpur.
Three-day horse show ends in Rajanpur.
MULTAN:
A two-decades-old horse race festival ended in Rajanpur on Tuesday.
The event is a cultural festival which, organisers say, is aimed at promoting the best breeds of horses in the Punjab by testing their skills and efficiency through race competitions.
Over 140 horses of various breeds were entered in the festival organised in Pichadah vilalge. Besides stamina and speed, horses were judged in two more categories- rulaayi (hurdling) and chobaazi (sportiong skills such as those used in polo).
The races were run in batches of four horses each. With every round, the horse finishing last was eliminated until there was only one horse left in each group for final race.
This year, a horse named Shaheen won the final competition beating Singhaar. Besides the first prize, Shaheen earned the title of Rustam-i-Punjab. It will keep this title till the next festival.
The entrance criteria involved the participation in and response to different tricks, race and diet plan for the horses. The horses will also be exported.
Shaheen’s owner Muhammad Yousuf of Landi Sayeedan in Jampur said Shaheen was beaten in the semi-final last year. He said he had worked hard on its training and feed to win this year.
He said Shaheen’s weekly maintenance cost was over Rs10,000.
Organiser Zahid Babra told The Express Tribune that the main purpose of the festival was to improve standards of horses as a livestock asset in Pakistan. Babra, a local landlord, said he had been organising the festival every year for 20 years.
He said winning horses sometimes sold for millions of rupees. He estimated Shaheen’s values at Rs4 million. This, he said, might increase in open auction for golf courses.
He said horses of the same breed were sold for less than a million rupees in recent past in local markets because people were not aware of the true value.
Over 8,000 people came to view the three-day festival.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2013.
A two-decades-old horse race festival ended in Rajanpur on Tuesday.
The event is a cultural festival which, organisers say, is aimed at promoting the best breeds of horses in the Punjab by testing their skills and efficiency through race competitions.
Over 140 horses of various breeds were entered in the festival organised in Pichadah vilalge. Besides stamina and speed, horses were judged in two more categories- rulaayi (hurdling) and chobaazi (sportiong skills such as those used in polo).
The races were run in batches of four horses each. With every round, the horse finishing last was eliminated until there was only one horse left in each group for final race.
This year, a horse named Shaheen won the final competition beating Singhaar. Besides the first prize, Shaheen earned the title of Rustam-i-Punjab. It will keep this title till the next festival.
The entrance criteria involved the participation in and response to different tricks, race and diet plan for the horses. The horses will also be exported.
Shaheen’s owner Muhammad Yousuf of Landi Sayeedan in Jampur said Shaheen was beaten in the semi-final last year. He said he had worked hard on its training and feed to win this year.
He said Shaheen’s weekly maintenance cost was over Rs10,000.
Organiser Zahid Babra told The Express Tribune that the main purpose of the festival was to improve standards of horses as a livestock asset in Pakistan. Babra, a local landlord, said he had been organising the festival every year for 20 years.
He said winning horses sometimes sold for millions of rupees. He estimated Shaheen’s values at Rs4 million. This, he said, might increase in open auction for golf courses.
He said horses of the same breed were sold for less than a million rupees in recent past in local markets because people were not aware of the true value.
Over 8,000 people came to view the three-day festival.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2013.