투르크메니스탄서 ‘말의 날’ 축제 열어
Turkmenistan, a Central Asian country famous for its rich natural resources,... is also well known for its beautiful horses.
Our Kim Hyesung, who is in Turkmenistan for us,... reports on its national holiday, the Turkmen Horse Day.
A National emblem, treasure and heritage.
Turkmenistan’s national breed of horses, the Akhalteke, are famous for their endurance and beauty.
"Every year on the last sunday of April, the once nomadic country celebrates the "Turkmen Horse Day," or "the Day of the Horse," a chance to see the true speed of these powerful animals."
Also nicknamed “heavenly horses,” in their coats of black, brown, and gold... the Akhalteke show off their grace and agility.
"Horses are not horses, this is one of...our part of the family. In the family, everybody celebrates this birthday or something special day and we care about horses and we decided before to create the day devoted for the Akhalteke horses."
Akhalteke is not only a family member but also the symbol of the Asian indoor and martial arts games to be held in Ashgabat this September.
Part of the weekend celebration was an equestrian beauty contest, providing a rare opportunity for horse lovers around the world to see the Akhalteke up close -- visitors like Hong Ji-jun, who breeds more than 100 horses in Korea.
"I think to make a new breed or revival of Korean horses take more than a hundred years, but I start from Jeju horses because this one should have history and culture of Korea otherwise it doesn't mean anything, so based on Jeju horses, I crossbreed with Lusitnao from Portuguese, also Akhalteke from Turkmenistan, and also the Warmblut from Germany."
Turkmenistan’s love for its native horses has led the state to invest hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars into creating breeding centers, promoting equestrian sports... and helping to increase the number of Akhalteke purebreds to over 400.
Their numbers had been devastated in the 1940s by war.
On a beautiful Sunday, the country’s unique and rather endearing obsession with horses is not just for the locals but also a chance for people from around the world to appreciate the beauty of the Akhalteke.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News, Ashgabat.
