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Bac Ha, the
land famous for white plum blossom is not only charming with speciality plum but also famous for maize alcohol and
Thang
Co soup, and yet, the bumber crops of rice of hamlets
perching on mountain sides are contributed by the supple
horses. When the racing season comes they become mighty
runners, bring glory to their owners.
 In the spring, to find those who participated in the horse
races on Bac Ha Plateau is not difficult. In the villages
such as Na Hoi, Ta Van Chu , Ban Pho ... most healthy men
have done a horse race. Sen Diu Phu, a barefoot knight who
has taken part in the horse races at the foot of the
mountain, beside the
Hoang A Tuong palace said the race
began long ago when he was a little boy he did see his
father racing. Growing up as a boy and jumped onto the horse
track. There is no saddle, just barefoot , racing horse for
fun "
Chu added the organization was very well and extremely fun.
A few dozen people rode horses and was given a gun with 5
bullets, after the drum sounded people started the race,
shot 5 bullets at the assigned aim, and then rob red sphere
at the finish line, after that jumped on the horse and
returned to the start line. The faster person and hit the
target better would win the game. However due to wars the
races were not organized often and then stopped. The winners
became legendary, they just worked hard, raised horses and
waited for one day when the festival is recovered and they
have never stopped hoping.
In the spring of 1975, celebrating the reunification of the
country, Bac Ha conducted a record parade with 300 martial
and imposing horses which were usually the hiking pack
horses. 5 years later the commander of the Military District
of Bac Ha organized a contest, selected the best riders and
marksman, Ly Seo Thong became the winner, was praised
enormously. Unfortunately the competition stalled again
until 27 years later in 2007 the Bac Ha traditional horse
racing was officially restored, becoming the special
activity in response to programme "Coorporation for tourism
development" of 8 Northwest provinces.
Bac Ha is the craddle of war horses in
northwest Vietnam,
produced numerous cargo horses since the roads were
difficult to drive, horseback was the most convenient mode
of transport for local people. Today the road was built to
almost every hamlet, horsed are raised for meat, carrying
goods and agricultural products in the remote villages,
people raise horses for racing purpose as well. Beside
participating in the festivals, in springs or after harvest
time young people in the villages practise racing, and the
winner horses must work very hard in the practice.
Vang Van Hoang, a very good horse breeder in Na Hoi village
said "A good horse can be recognized quickly in his
beautiful form, about 4 to 6 years old, this is believed to
be the most vigorous period of the war horses"
However, long time breeders said that on the mountain slopes
of Bac Ha there is Hong Mi, a kind of herb, those horses who
eat a lot of this will become very strong and supple, other
people said stamina of a horse is subject to the ability to
drink alcohol of the horse.
Mr Vang Van Cot of Tay ethnic group living in Na Hoi commune
who has been a horse breeder for more than 20 years and has
provided many good horses for racers said "Horses are
intelligent, you love him he also loves you, in daily life
they are attached to each family, if you feed him well and
take good care of him he will be very loyal. Before the race
you should keep him away from female horses to save this
strength or from wild horses so that he will learn from them
and refuse to obey the racers".
Yet, Bac Ha alone does not have sufficient good horses for
the races, some people have to go "hunting" in other places,
choose the best ones to train and practise, it costs a lot
of time and energy and that's why those horses are the pride
and bear great expectations from owners. Each rider has his
own way to look after his horse, before the race horses are
given special care, better fed, washed. Bac Ha is
mysterious, and so many things need to explore. Even
successful recipes for the horses owners are not always
willing to share. However racing season is happy time for
people living in Bac Ha and around. |
