Baige (horse race)

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 499.

Horse racing is one of the ancient traditions of Kazakh people. Horses were the “wings” of the zhigit, so they trained them and spent many hours with their beloved race horses. Our ancestors could distinguish the good horses from the bad. So The Kazakhs held baige (horse race) at large tois, celebrations and at national holidays. At the races one might see hundreds of horses.

In Kazakh history there were ases (held the year following somebody's death) of famous people like Saginai, Mamen, Sasan, Ulan-bulan and tremendous horse races were held. Our nation is always interested in joyful events, so they often organize horse races. It is difficult to predict a race horse from the others. The head of race horse must have little meat; they must have protruding ribs; swollen bones; they should be of unpleasant appearance; must have broad breasts and protruding nostrils. Those who believe that they have a winning horse and want to have a prize must care for their animals the month before a race. They should train this horse for race by riding long hours to make the horse sweaty. They then must feed and water the horse appropriately, and give an extra measure of oats. After a good ride, they should cool down the horse, and keep their animal safe from evil eyes, they covered him with a small horse blanket and made a special mask for his face.

Another important task is to select a person who would ride the race horse. The Kazakhs usually choose boys, because they are light and rode horses easily; however, such boys must have riding skills. In preparation for a race a boy would be instructed how to keep the horse's eyes and under his ears dry; to use a whip; when to change speeds; to remember not to sit straight but to ride sideways, always observing the behavior of competitors. According to the kind of tois involved, the financial position of horse owners, and the number of participating horses, a horse race might be of short, middle, or long distances. So baige is longstanding and wonderful tradition.

Vocabulary:

horse race – конные скачки

ancient – древний

ancestor – предки

protruding ribs – торчащие ребра

swollen bones – увеличенные кости

broad breast – широкая грудь

nostrils – ноздри

an amble – иноходь

Ø Answer the questions:

1. When do the Kazakhs hold baige?

2. How do the Kazakhs take care of the race horses?

3. How is a person selected for a race?

4. Why is baige a wonderful tradition?

Ø Fill in the gaps:

1. Horse racing is one of the … of the Kazakh people. So the Kazakhs hold baige at … and at national holidays. 2. Our nation is always interested in …, so they often organize horse races. They would condition amount for a race … by riding … to make the horse sweaty. 3. The Kazakhs usually choose boys, because they are …, horses easily. 4. A horse race might be short … or long distances.

Ø True or false:

1. Horse racing is one of the modern traditions of Kazakh people. 2. Kazakhs held baige at large tois, celebrations and at national holidays. 3. They then would feed and water, and give an extra measure of millet. 4. Kazakhs usually choose boys, because they are strong and rode horses slowly. 5. Baige is an uninteresting tradition.