Kyrgyzstan to host Gallops for first time
The international Gallops project, a world-famous expeditionary horse race, will be held for the first time in Kyrgyzstan on the picturesque high-mountain lake Son-Kul on July 19 - 27, Director of the Tourism Department under the Ministry of Economy Erdenet Kasymov told at Kabar Agency.
He said that Kyrgyzstan is actively developing the tourism industry and attracting international projects.
"President Sadyr Zhaparov announced a five-year plan for the development of mountain regions, and the Gallops project is fully consistent with this agenda. The finish and start of the route will be in the village of Kyzart in the Jumgal district, which is already ready to receive a large number of guests and is developing ethno-tourism," Kasymov noted.
He also added that large-scale infrastructure reforms are being carried out in the country, and new hippodromes are being built in a number of cities to develop equestrian sports.
Founder and head of the project, Badi Kebir, noted that Kyrgyzstan was chosen due to the unique culture and stunning nature of the country.
"Gallops has several goals: developing culture and popularizing the region, as well as uniting equestrian sports enthusiasts from all over the world. The participants of the race are mainly tourists with higher financial income, which is beneficial for the economy of Kyrgyzstan, because many of them come back again," he said.
Gallops is a unique equestrian marathon based on the Paris-Dakar principle, which is a team competition in navigation and endurance. In five days, participants will cover about 200 km across the vast expanses of Kyrgyzstan, testing their riding skills, fortitude and team cohesion.
Each day, riders will cover about 40 km. After each stage, a veterinarian will check the horse's pulse, it should not exceed 70 beats per minute. If the indicator is higher, it will be considered an excess of the permissible load, so the control is very strict.
The race will involve 12 teams from different countries of the world and one team from Kyrgyzstan. Badi Kebir noted that holding the races in Kyrgyzstan became possible thanks to the support of the project coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic, Azamat Zhamankulov.
“The Gallops project has been held previously in such countries as Oman, Morocco, Jordan and India, and this year it is being held in Kyrgyzstan for the first time,” said Azamat Zhamankulov.
Every evening, participants will enjoy cultural events, nomad games, craftsmen’s master classes, as well as an introduction to the Manas epic, the works of Chyngyz Aitmatov and the Salbuurun hunting games.
The organizers note that participants and guests will enjoy stunning landscapes, a unique nomadic culture and a truly international atmosphere.
However, as the organizers emphasize, Gallops is not only a race; what is more important here is not speed, but friendship, adventure and unity with nature.
Earlier, Kazakhstan has welcomed a new batch of Przewalski's horses as part of the reintroduction project.
