ASHGABAT RACES

The Ahal Tekke horse occuipies a central place in Turkmen culture.  Alexander the Great was keen to lay his hands on this fast horse with immense stamina and they are particularly well suited to long-distance endurance races.  It likely that some of the Eastern horses brought into England in the 17th century as 'Arabs' and 'Turks' which helped to develop the English thoroughbred, were in fact Ahal Tekke.  Horse-racing in modern day Turkmenistan seems to a largely male only affair - in fact the stadium was almost entirely full of schoolboys cheering their friends who were the jockeys.  It was great morning out and the horses were quite stunning.