Europe

Home page

Europe

British media highlights performance of Karabakh horses at Royal Windsor Horse Show

18 May 2016 22:34 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Fifteen Azerbaijani Karabakh breed horses and a team of dancers from the Azerbaijan State Song and Dance Ensemble named after Fikrat Amirov performed at the final night of the Royal Windsor Horse Show (11-15 May) to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, APA reports.

The Azerbaijani participation in the Royal Windsor Horse Show was co-organized by The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) and the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation (ARAF) with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The high level performance of Azerbaijani delegation, particularly the heroes of the event- the Karabakh horses and extreme moves of our riders at the Royal Windsor Horse Show was highlighted on The Times, Horse&Hound , Equestrian Life newspaper and magazines as well as on TV shows aired by ITV and BBC and BBC news.

“The Times” on article, published on May 13, informs about the Karabakh horse presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.

It is noted that the horses that the most arduous journey to reach Windsor traveled from Azerbaijan by land through ten countries including Russia, Latvia and Poland- a journey of nearly 7,500 km (4660 miles) which took them two months. It is stated that the horses brought to Karabakh are national breeds.

The article “Karabakh horses, valued for their endurance in mountainous terrain, mild temperament and rich chestnut colour, are the national animal of Azerbaijan. The horses are a cross breed of Akhal-Teke, a Turkmenian breed, the Turkoman horse, an Iranian breed and Arabian horses, and have close links to Central Asia. The Karabakh region was long renowned for the quality of its horses.

The article makes an excursus to the past of the Karabakh horses: “The breed attained its current shape and characteristics during the 18th and 19th centuries. At this time, Ibrahim-Khalil (1763-1806), khan of the Karabakh khanate, owned a large number of the breed, with a herd numbering between 3,000 and 4,000. From the 19th century onwards this horse breed became increasingly popular in Europe. Thus, in one of the first big sales in 1823, an English company purchased 60 pure Karabakh mares from Mehdi-Kulu Khan, the last ruler of the Karabakh khanate. After Mehdi-Kulu Khan, his daughter Khurshidbanu Natavan took care of the breed. In a series of successes her Karabakh stallions received the highest awards in various exhibitions during the 19th century.

Unfortunately, it was also during the 19th century that Karabakh numbers started to decline. In 1826 the Russo-Iranian war led to many being killed, but the breed remained intact.”

Equestrian Life notes that “if it were not for the dramatic 1993 rescue of hundreds of Karabakh horses from a stud farm in Agdam, a town near Karabakh that is now under Armenian occupation, this national treasure would probably have been lost. In 2007, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture drew up a 15-year plan for preserving and publicizing the breed.”

“Horse&Hound” on article dated May 15, notes that The Karabakh horses thrilled the packed audience with their displays of riders standing, going under and leaping on and off their mounts.

“We are honoured to have this opportunity to perform for Her Majesty the Queen. “This occasion manifests the great love both our nations share for horses, and is a great opportunity to show the British public our magnificent national animal, the Karabakh stallion,” said Lionel Zetter, director of the European Azerbaijan Society in his interview to “Horse&Hound.

He noted that it was not the first time they have put on a display for Her Majesty; in 2012 they came to Windsor to take part in the diamond jubilee pageant.

The article notes that most of the horses are now used for chovqan, an ancient form of polo and a national sport in Azerbaijan. The game goes back 2,400 years and in the Middle Ages was key to the training programmes of some Turk calvary units.

The game is said to be the origin of modern day polo and in Azerbaijan people of all ages turn out to support their teams.

The Karabakh horses also were highlighted on British ITV’s “Good Morning London.” BBC and BBC News have also broadcasted reportages about the Karabakh horses.