On the morning of February 6th (the 9th day of the Lunar New Year), thousands of people flocked to Go Thi Thung (An Xuan commune, Tuy An district, Phu Yen province) to watch the horse racing festival and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this traditional folk festival in Central Vietnam.
This year's horse race features 32 "warhorses" from four communes: An Linh, An Xuan, An Hiep, and An Tho (Tuy An District). Each race consists of four horses competing, running two laps (2 km), after which the eight fastest horses from the group stage advance to the semi-finals. The four horses that win first and second place in the semi-finals compete for the prize.
Go Thi Thung Horse Racing Festival (in An Xuan commune, Tuy An district)
The "knights" and "warhorses" before battle.
The competition featured 32 "warhorses".
PHOTO: TRAN BICH NGAN
The racehorses are the same horses used daily for transporting agricultural products. The racers, on the other hand, are farmers with calloused hands. This is what makes the Go Thi Thung horse race so unique and interesting, providing thousands of spectators with a good laugh.
People had been there since early morning to cheer.
Watching the competition under the scorching sun.
Standing before a cheering crowd for the first time, many horses panicked and ran off the track. Quite a few horses, even though they had been given the starting signal long ago, stubbornly refused to run, only moving after being chased, shouted at, and even having their hindquarters slapped.
There was a horse that was running... but it didn't want to race anymore. Strangely enough, the horse even threw its rider to the ground to get out of the way and run faster to the finish line.
Many riders fell off their horses at the competition.
After more than two hours of competition, the results were as follows: first prize went to horse number 23 (An Hiep commune); second prize went to horse number 25 (An Hiep commune); and third prize was shared by horse number 9 (An Xuan commune) and horse number 15 (An Hiep commune).
Mr. Nguyen Huu Son (racing horse number 23) won first prize in this year's race. Mr. Son said there was no secret to winning. "This race depends a lot on the horse, because they are pack horses, so they are very unpredictable. In front of a crowd, the horse easily gets panicked and runs wildly. I have to use a whip to urge it to race, and I also have to concentrate intensely, otherwise it will throw me off and I'll be disqualified," Mr. Son said.
First prize went to horse number 23 from An Hiep commune.
Every year, Mr. Luu Van Khanh (70 years old, Hoa Tri commune, Phu Hoa district, Phu Yen province) comes to watch the horse racing festival at Go Thi Thung with great enthusiasm. "Although not professional, both the riders and the horses are very enthusiastic, creating bursts of laughter for everyone. Sometimes, it is this amateurishness that makes the festival so memorable and captivating for viewers," Mr. Khanh said.
Mr. Huynh Gia Hoang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuy An District, said: "The Go Thi Thung horse racing festival is a unique cultural feature of Tuy An District and has existed for a long time. In the future, we will continue to maintain and promote this cultural beauty to a wider audience and the whole country. This will attract investment, stimulate economic development, increase the income of local people, and contribute to the preservation and development of the local culture."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/man-dua-ngua-doc-la-cua-nhung-ky-si-nong-dan-18525020611423385.htm
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