At-chabysh (horse racing) is a very ancient and popular sport among the Kyrgyz people.
“Horse racing,” wrote S. E. Dmitriev, one of the researchers of the Kyrgyz way of life, “is the most popular entertainment among the Kyrgyz—these born riders. No holiday goes by without races.”
The origins of at-chabysh were linked to the necessity of preparing horses for various transitions from one area to another and other reasons related to the lifestyle of the Kyrgyz as a nomadic people. The Kyrgyz, due to historically established material living conditions, are natural cavalrymen.
Men and women, boys, girls, and elderly people are skilled at galloping along any mountain road, climbing steep paths to dizzying heights, catching, taming, and training any wild herd horse for work. It is no coincidence that various horse games and equestrian competitions are widespread among the Kyrgyz people. At-chabysh has been and remains the most popular sport among the Kyrgyz population.
Competitions in at-chabysh, which is also known among the people as “alaman-bayga,” were once held on a grand scale. For instance, during the largest sports festival held in October 1913, up to 40,000 people gathered in the Kichi-Kemin Valley of Kyrgyzstan from all over Central Asia and Kazakhstan. The Kichi-Kemin alaman-bayga was the largest sporting event in pre-revolutionary Central Asia.
The rules for at-chabysh competitions were first introduced in 1952 with the approval of the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports under the Council of Ministers of the Kyrgyz SSR. According to the rules, at-chabysh competitions can be individual or team events and are held over distances of:
a) 5, 8, 10, 12 km for horses aged 3 to 4 years;
b) 15, 20, 25 km for horses aged 5 years and older;
c) 30, 40, 50 km and more for horses no younger than 5 years, specially trained and having a special permit from a doctor.
The distances for competitions can vary depending on the terrain and may be straight, with turns, in a closed loop, or on racetracks.
In official competitions, riders must be at least 15 years old, although in popular practice, riders as young as 10-12 years old participate, as their lighter weight eases the load on the horses and allows them to show greater speed. For these same reasons, races are often held without saddles.
Any breed of horse with any equipment can participate in at-chabysh.
Winners in at-chabysh are those who undergo extensive and prolonged training for the competitions.
