(VOVOworld) – The horse is an important animal in the daily life of the Mong people and horse racing is a popular sport among the Mong men. During the national unity festival at the Culture-Tourism village of Vietnamese ethnic groups in Hanoi, tourists had an opportunity to watch the fantastic horse racing of the Mong people from Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province. At the starting signal, the jockeys crouch low on horseback and spur their horses to pass their competitors.


Photo: Huy Phuong/VOVonline

Mong jockeys wear their traditional clothing, plus plastic helmets and canvas shoes. They ride with a bridle but no saddle. 16 horses race in pairs. Sometimes, a nervous horse gallops off the race track as the jockey tries in vain to control it. Some jockeys fall on a sharp turn, making viewers’ hearts miss a beat. Vang Van Quyet and Vang Van Cuong of Na Ang B hamlet, Na Hoi commune, just finished their race. “I’ve been around horses since I was small. I sit firmly on the horseback and try to keep my balance. I understand when the horse is about to turn and do some things to control it.” Quyet said.

“In order to keep your balance on horseback, you have to understand the horse. You have to regularly handle it and ride it to know its bad habits.” Cuong said.

Quyet shares his tips for choosing racehorses and controlling the bridle. “You control the bridle as you would drive a motorbike. It’s not exactly the same, but you have to try. We always choose a horse which is friendly and emotionally close to us. It should have an intelligent face, straight legs, and a brawny chest.”

Mong jockeys have to train for at least a year before the race. They make friends with the horses before training them to gallop. In the past, they raced on mountain trails. Now they race on a paved track so the horse must wear shoes.

A racehorse requires very good care. Vang Van Cuong strokes his horse fondly while talking to us: “I feed it as much as it needs. It eats about 50 kg of grass and half a kg of maize a day. I stroke it when we relax so it will be familiar with me and reduce its nervousness.”

Horse racing derives from the Mong people’s custom of riding horses on rocky mountain trails. When they’re not carrying goods, Mong men often challenge each other to race their horses. They organize formal horse races after the farm work is done. The prize is the honor of having the best horse. Pack-horses which carry maize and rice home from terraced fields on work days become race horses trilling audiences on festival days.