Gentlemen, start your horses

  • 2009-07-29
  • By Antons Ponomarenko

JUST A LITTLE HIGHER: Enjoy a day at the horse races

RIGA - Horses have been our friends and have helped us out in all aspects of life, whether it be transport, in sport or simply to show off, since… well, always. In the old days, if you were a man, but you didn't have a horse, or at least a friend you could borrow one from, you would probably end up alone, because nobody wanted a man without a 'set of wheels.' This traditional attitude to horses has undergone many adjustments over the years, and though horses have become a lot less important in our lives with the advent of the internal-combustion engine, they didn't go away completely.

We still enjoy looking at them, caressing them, and it is one of the animals you would never want to eat, because they are so pretty.
Every once in a while somebody starts telling a story of how they've once ridden a horse and they've bonded with the animal, and how they would very much enjoy to go somewhere, where you could ride one again. So if you know someone who is crazy about horses or you have heard somebody mention one in a conversation, you should take him to the 2nd Latvian Horse Days.

It will be a great place to visit for anyone who is in any way interested in horseback riding, who simply likes those big beautiful animals, or has a child. There will be competitions in many different disciplines, where the contestants will be competing against each other to prove that their horses are better, faster and more agile and to win the prize money, up to 150 lats depending on the discipline.

The variety of disciplines is tremendous. It includes jumping obstacles, high jumping, races, marathons, walking and trotting, jumping off the horse, a contest for the best seated jockey, dressage, freestyle dressage. The breaks between the contests will be filled with performances and shows. You will also have the possibility to see teams of two, competing against each other, where one person rides a horse while another drives a car round the track, and your children will have a chance to learn to ride a horse in a special 'Driving School.' If you don't have children or you simply always wanted to learn to ride a horse yourself, you are also welcome to do that.

There will even be a straight 6 meter wide and 200 meter long track for a Drag Race. So basically, the event organizers have put together every possible discipline, in any way related to the horses, and made a rather fascinating event out of it. It will be great entertainment for the whole family as you can watch the professionals doing their magic, and give it a go yourself.

Second Latvian Horse Days are starting on Aug. 8 in Incukalns. The event will last for two days starting at 8 a.m. on Aug. 8 and at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 9.