The European breeding inspection of Turkmen horses began in Bábolna

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

Minister of Agriculture István Nagy emphasized in his speech opening the event that the breed considered the ancestor of most bred horse breeds is threatened with extinction, and the Akhal teke was included in the endangered agricultural animal breeds in Hungary in 2020. He said: attachment to horses accompanies them throughout their history, and horse breeding is part of its national values. This is also why the government supports horse and horse sports, equestrian events, the education of young people, and the work of stud farms operating as budgetary bodies. He emphasized that in order to preserve the genetic foundations of animal breeding, they help the survival of protected indigenous and endangered animal breeds, as well as breeds undergoing reconstruction. Supporter decisions were made in connection with the call for tenders for this purpose, and the initiative will continue in the following years.

József Nyéki, president of the Hungarian Association of Akhal Teke horse breeders, said that fifty-nine horses from 11 countries, thoroughbreds and half-breeds, were entered for the event

The animals are scored by a three-member jury, during hand driving, walking and trotting, as well as during movement, supplemented by a gallop. The conscious use of the akhal-teke in Hungarian horse breeding dates back to the 19th century it was present until the 1970s, then revived in the 1970s, when three stallions arrived in Hungary. Since the 1990s, the number and genetic potential of the herd has slowly increased with the dedicated work of a few breeders. There can be nearly 100 breeding mares in Hungary, and 1,886 registered mares are registered in the world. They breed purebreds in Agostyán, Bakonyszentkirály, on the border of the Bükki National Park, Jásszentlászló, Kecel, Lendvadedes, Mahócá, Mikebuda, Ópusztaszer and Szentgál.

The Akhal-Teke breed is one of the oldest cultivated horse breeds in the world

It got its name from its breeders, the Turkmen Teke tribe, and its breeding place, the Ahal Oasis. The breed was developed in the semi-desert environment with a lack of food and water, due to the harsh conditions, its bloodline was inherited by the most resistant individuals, and the Turkmens regard it as a national treasure. The akhal-teke can be the golden-haired paripa of Hungarian folk tales, because one of its characteristics is the golden fur. The middle of the fibers is almost transparent, almost behaves like an optical fiber, so the horse is covered with hair with a metallic shine. The ability of the breed is characterized by the fact that in 1935 a group of Turks rode them 4,300 kilometers from Ashgabat to Moscow in 84 days, three of which they went without water because there was no spring in the area.

MTI