Azerbaijan’s legendary Karabakh horses attend royal show in London - PHOTO/VIDEO World's oldest horse breed to steal show watched by Her Majesty

Azerbaijan’s legendary Karabakh horses are going to again steal the show in a unique performance program at the Royal Windsor Horse Show this week.

The show, which celebrates the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne and will be attended by Her Majesty in person, kicked off in London on Thursday.

The Azerbaijani delegation from the country’s Equestrian Federation will take the stage in a special program titled “Odlar Yurdu” (Land of Fire).

The program reportedly features a high-octane demonstration of horse-riding skills and tricks by 70 people and fifteen cavalrymen from the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, accompanied by the Azerbaijani national music.

Azerbaijani horsemen are expected to demonstrate four equestrian recitals from May 12 through 15. The show will also feature performances by the representatives of Oman, Bahrain, Switzerland, France, Norway, and India.

 It is not the first time the Royal Windsor Horse Show hosts the Azerbaijani cavalrymen riding legendary Karabakh horses of the country. In 2021, the adrenaline-fuelled “Khary Bulbul” show of the horsemen from the Land of Fire was one of the unforgettable fragments of the royal festival. The show featured the eye-catching duet of the Azerbaijani horsemen and Karabakh stallions also in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

“In a jaw-dropping performance, skilled riders performed the splits while balancing on two trotting horses, and hung upside down from their steeds as they galloped across the show ground,” the Daily Mail wrote to describe how the Azerbaijani cavalrymen stole the show last year.

The roots of horse-riding in Azerbaijan, a country that is believed to be one of the first regions globally to domesticate horses, go to centuries back. The Karabakh horses are one of the world-renowned breeds originating from Azerbaijan.

The Karabakh stallions are known as one of the most precious racing and riding horses in the East, as well as the oldest horse breed in Asia and the Middle East. They are famous for their high speed, agility, and especially the unique radiant skin. A four-beat gait of the Karabakh steeds is said to average about 8 kilometres per hour. The one of a kind golden brown skin colour of these horses distinguish them among the unique breeds worldwide, glorifying them also as "Yellows".

According to historical sources, Alexander the Great and Persian ruler Dara strengthened their cavalry with Karabakh horses. Even the facts prove that Azerbaijani horses have contributed to the formation of the world-renowned Arabian and English horse breeds. Ancient Greek historian Herodotus is also said to mention Karabakh horses in his book.

In 1956, General Secretary Krushchev of the Soviet Union presented Prince Charles of the United Kingdom with a Karabakh golden dun stallion named “Zaman”, which was housed at ZSL London Zoo. The stallion bred at the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was recognized as one of 20 beautiful horses among 31 incredible gifts given to the British royal family.

The war clouds that loomed over Azerbaijan in the early 1990s affected also the horse-breeding industry of the country. After Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, the homeland of the Karabakh horses, in 1991-1994, the number of Karabakh horses declined. They were exiled to other regions of Azerbaijan.

However, the Azerbaijani government invested millions of dollars to preserve the war-torn heritage of the Karabakh horses, which are recognized as the national treasure of Azerbaijan. In 2015, President Ilham Aliyev ordered the allocation of $5.5 million to protect and develop the national horse breeds of the country, including the stallions of Karabakh. A monument to the Karabakh horse was unveiled in Belgium in a project supported by the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation in 2016. The United Nations inscribed the Azerbaijani horse-riding game called chovgan, of which the Karabakh horse is an inseparable part, in the list of traditional practices that should be protected.

The majestic Karabakh stallions returned to their ancient lands of breeding after Karabakh’s liberation by the Azerbaijani army in 2020. In March 2022, cavalrymen marched toward the liberated Aghdam region on the Karabakh horses, the first time in 30 years after the occupation of Karabakh. The legendary stallions were sold in an auction in April 2022 in a project aimed at spreading the heritage of the national horse breed to various parts of the world.