Jamnagar: In times of Formula One motor racing, a village in Jamnagar area of Gujarat is upholding a 125 year-old tradition of horse racing with locals rearing different breeds of horses as a hobby. Masitiya village of Jamnagar turned into a virtual race course on March 8 when a traditional horse racing competition was organised by the locals as part of the decades-old tradition.
In this race, Baji Mari's horse number 302 won the first prize. Last year, it was the horse number 307 named Badshah which stood first. The annual horse racing competition is being organised in Masitiya for the last 125 years in which horses from Saurashtra, Kutch and Kathiawadi take part in the race.
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The owner of the horse that secures the first position is honoured. Kasambhai Khafi, district panchayat member of Masitiya village, said that for the last 125 years, horse races and camel races are being organised at Masitiya village, in which Jatwan horses from all over Gujarat take part in the race.
A total of two horse races are organised with separate races held for small horses and for big horses. It is said that horse racing first became popular in Afghanistan after which the horse racing craze spread all over the world. In Jamnagar area of Gujarat, people are rearing horses of different breeds as a hobby especially for the purpose of horse racing here.
The horse breeds like Kathiawadi as well as Kutch and Marwari horses are the most popular that stand first in the annual horse races every year. Horse owners train horses for races throughout the year and spend a lot of money on the hobby. Wherever horse races are held across the state, horse race owners from the Jamnagar Panthak participate in the races. The traditional horse races in Jamnagar draw huge crowds every year.
