The world-famous Karabakh-Cidir plain will become the most spectacular racetrack after the horse races
The thoroughbred horses of Karabakh, a symbol of heroism, also attract attention with their grandeur and appearance. While writing about the history, culture, art and charming nature of our Karabakh, the famous horses of our ancient homeland, which involuntarily resonate with the world, come to life before our eyes. The spirit of the Karabakh horses, which has become a symbol of pride, heroism, endurance and greatness, is rooted in the heroism of this land. Not backwards, only and only until you win, until you achieve the first place, tirelessly, through the dust and fog. Distinguished from 260 world-famous horse breeds, Karabakh horses are distinguished by their running speed, and the record speed was set by a horse named Sumganda, bred at the Aghdam Equestrian Plant, who ran a distance of 1,600 meters in 1 minute 54 seconds. Azerbaijan is one of the countries where equestrianism has been developed since ancient times. The main place where the Karabakh horse was spread has been the Karabakh zone of Azerbaijan throughout history. The best horses are spread in Shusha, Aghdam and nearby areas. Horses of this breed have also been taken to the North Caucasus, Dona and many horse farms in southern Russia. Karabakh horses have a special place among such popular horse breeds as "Arab", "Don", "Budyonny". Karabakh horses are considered to be the oldest horse breed in Asia and the Caucasus. As a result of the research, it is said that the Karabakh horses are descended from the Manna, Media, Atropatena and Albanian horses. Karabakh horses have been bred in Rome, Sassanid, Arab, Seljuk, Mongolian, Iranian and other countries for centuries. Although it has undergone some changes as a result of its interaction with horses, it has been able to retain its roots.
KARABAKH HORSES PLAY A ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF ARAB AND BRITISH JING HORSES
If we look at our historical period, we can see that this breed of horse was further improved in the Karabakh khanate in the XVII-XVIII centuries. The equestrian plants of Panah khan, Mehdigulu khan and Jafargulu khan in the Karabakh region played an important role in the formation and improvement of the Dilbaz horse. A number of facts prove that Azerbaijani horses played a role in the formation of Arabian and English gin horses, which are widespread in the world. The invaluable role of Karabakh's Khan factories in the development of Karabakh horses as a breed and in their widespread popularity should be noted. More than a hundred equestrian factories in Shusha district belonged to Panah khan, his son, Ibrahim khan, the last independent ruler of Karabakh, Ibrahim khan's sons Mehdigulu khan, Mohammad Hasan agha, his son Jafargulu-Javanshir khan, Khan gizi Natava and other khans. The Karabakh horses bred in the factories of Panah khan, the successors of his dynasty, Mehdigulu khan and Jafargulu khan, played a great role in transmitting them to the next generations as a special and invaluable material and spiritual heritage. For a long time from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, the Karabakh horses went through a process of development that could be considered a golden age for them against the background of a number of processes.
IN 1832, KARABAKH HAD 11 HORSE FACTORIES
As we know, the horse has been a profitable mode of transport for all times. During the constant feudal wars and raids, the horse played an irreplaceable role in the battles as a means of transportation. In 1832, there were 11 equestrian factories in Karabakh with 250 stallions and 1,400 mares. Large feudal lords were engaged in breeding horses for sale. They raised a large number of mares and sold their young. In 1831, the price of a horse in Karabakh ranged from 30 chervons to 300 chervons, which was quite a large amount for its time. Historical sources note that the Karabakh horse was one of the most popular horse breeds in Azerbaijan in the 19th century. Due to its high quality, this horse was considered equal to the old purebred Arabian horse. Many types of the Karabakh breeds have been recorded in the historical and ethnographic literature. Among them are Maymun (Happy), Tokhmaq, Shahmar, Qarnı yırtıq, Alyetmez, Jeyran, Salminaz and others. can be shown. All of these were suitable horses that fully adapted to the local conditions and felt very free under the saddle. Due to the tireless speed and other positive qualities of the Karabakh horse, it had amateur customers not only in Russia, but also in European countries such as Poland, England and France. In exchange for the fame of the Karabakh breed, stallions of that breed were purchased for breeding purposes for equestrian plants, and in this way the local horse breeds were improved. In the memory of history, it is said that the fame of the Karabakh horses spread throughout the Middle East. Even the British, who had the famous purebred racehorse, were interested in the Karabakh horse. The beauty of these horses also attracted the attention of travelers to Shusha. In 1865, Vasily Vereshchagin, a prominent Russian artist in Shusha, wrote: Russian generals and officials also used Karabakh horses. "
KARABAKH HORSES WON MEDALS AT WORLD HORSE EXHIBITIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE XIX CENTURY
Karabakh horses have participated in world horse exhibitions since the middle of the 19th century. Twice a year, equestrian competitions were held on the Chadar area, and the winners were given valuable prizes. Ibrahim Khan's horses were in great demand in the world market. Khurshidbanu Natavan was also actively involved in equestrianism and had a famous horsemanship throughout the country. The poet's Karabakh horses took part in world agricultural exhibitions in Paris, Moscow and Tbilissi (Georgia) in 1867, and each time they won and were awarded gold medals. He returned to Moscow in 1866, 1869, 1872, and in Paris in 1867 with prizes and meals from world horse shows. Pictures of the participating horses were published in magazines published in France and Vienna.
If we look at the historical period, we can see that the collapse of feudal socio-economic relations in Azerbaijan in the late XIX century, the country's becoming part of Tsarist Russia, the weakening of Karabakh horses as a result of the sale of many horses to Russia, England, Iran and other countries. The impetus for this process by a number of historical events that took place in the early 20th century brought to the fore a whole new approach to the breed, or rather, its rehabilitation. For this purpose, first of all, in order to determine the resources of Karabakh horses in the country, an expedition led by Professor II Kalugi was established in 1926 and research was conducted in the regions of the republic. According to the results of the research, the expedition came to the conclusion that they could not find a real Karabakh horse at that time. However, this is not in line with any scientific logic, just as required by the new Soviet ideology. it was nothing more than a draw. The expedition that conducted the research did not seem to need to see Karabakh horses. If this were not the case, 20 years after that study, it would not have been possible to find more than 60 typical Karabakh horses in just a few districts in order to establish a Karabakh horse factory.
AGDAM Equestrian Factory
The Karabakh equestrian plant has been operating successfully since its establishment. In 1952, 6 typical Karabakh horses were selected and sent to Moscow to participate in the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition. The year 1956 is also important in the history of the arrival of the Karabakh horse in Europe. At that time, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who was visiting Great Britain, also presented Queen Elizabeth II with a Karabakh horse named "Zaman" from the Aghdam Equestrian Plant. The general development of agriculture in the republic in 1960-1970, the strengthening of the material and technical base of the Aghdam Equestrian Plant, the growing interest in horse racing created favorable conditions for the development of the Karabakh horse. After the establishment of the plant, the formation of families and lines within the breed, the active participation of Karabakh horses in a number of All-Union exhibitions and competitions coincides with those years.
WORK TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL HORSE BREEDS
Although the Aghdam region was occupied by the Armenian aggressors in July 1993 during the known events, the selfless horsemen ensured the withdrawal of the Karabakh horses from the battle zone. The Karabakh horses, which were taken out of the war zone, were first placed in the territory of the Aran pedigree sheep farm in the Yevlakh region. However, as the natural conditions of those places were not suitable for Karabakh horses, the horses were moved to the Lanbaran winter camp in the Agjabadi district of the plant. Necessary steps have been taken in our country for the international recognition of national horse breeds. According to the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated November 19, 2014, 2.0 (two) million manat was allocated from the state budget for the development of the Karabakh horse breed and the implementation of relevant measures in this area. According to the Presidential Decree dated August 21, 2015, 1.5 million manat was allocated to complete the measures taken to develop the Karabakh horse breed. Then, in accordance with the Presidential Decree of 2017, the state for the construction of the Equestrian Complex of "Aghdam Equestrian Farm" Limited Liability Company 2.0 million manat was allocated from the budget. Along with all this, the "Azerbaijan State Program for the Development of Equestrian Sports" was approved.
It should be noted that the Chovken game played with the Karabakh horse was included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO in 2013. Today, Karabakh horses are also proud. After the 44-day war, Karabakh horses will return to their native land. The world-famous Karabakh horses will be rearing up on the fields of Cidir, and soon these areas will be the most spectacular racing venues for horse races.
USD
EUR
GBP
RUB
