Horses have been an integral part of the culture and history of Punjab, whether it is the war horses of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, race horses or for the cart, they have never failed to enamour us with their elegance, strength, vigour, and valour. Here lies an opportunity for Tricity residents to go out there along with families at The Ranch in New Chandigarh on the outskirts of the city from Nov 4-Nov 6 to get a closer look at different breeds of horses and stroll around.
The week-long event Homeland Chandigarh Horse Show, being held in partnership with the Bubby Badal Foundation, will mark the quintessential festive spirit of Punjab for participants, spectators, and families alike under stunning gazebo tents, finely curated food stalls, unique games for children, horse interactions, and strolls around the arena with live music in the background.
The horse show is open for public from 4th-6th Nov.
Schedule of events
The various equestrian events will take place on 2nd and 4th November where equestrian events like show jumping, tent pegging and dressage will be held. The horse show is open for public from 4th-6th November. On 6th Nov Chandigarh derby will feature the best horse and rider combinations over natural obstacles on 1100-metre-long tracks. On 7th Nov, the first auction sale of sports and rare breeds of horses from across India will be held.
The First-Ever
Tricity residents will get a hang of the first Chandigarh Derby being held in the Tricity. Chandigarh’s first auction sale of Indian sports horses will also be held here for the first time, besides being Punjab’s own equestrian festival for the first time.
“We have participants from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, paramilitary forces and the armed forces participating in the event,” says Harjinder Khosa, co-founder Homeland Chandigarh horse Show and The Ranch. “Though a horse show was held here last year too, but the range of activities and participation will increase with each passing year,” he says while talking to citywoofer.com.
More About Horses At the Show
The show horses are of two types: Thorough-breds specially trained for sports, and the warm-bloods trained for jumping. The show horses on display at the Chandigarh horse show include Marwari horses, Miniature ponies, Arabian horses and Gypsies
Marwari horses: Rare breed from Jodhpur, Rajasthan ; have a long neck and unusual inward-curving shape of the ears. Its beautiful presence makes it ideal for parades and ceremonial purposes.
When The Marwari is also well-suited to dressage and polo, thanks to its agility and stamina. They can have a tenacious and unpredictable temperament. These horses are crossed with Thoroughbreds, the resulting horses are slightly larger and tend to be more versatile.
Miniature ponies: Mostly kept as companion animals, if you are not an equestrian at heart and don’t have the time and space to dedicate to a large horse, miniature horses are the best choice. Ponies are stocky with short legs, thick necks, and fluffy manes and tails.
They typically have all the refined features of larger horses, they have exceptionally long lifespan, often far longer than their full-sized counterparts, and some miniature horses have been known to live for almost 50 years. They are known to be intelligent animals that learn quickly and are obedient and easygoing.
Arabian horses: Originated in the Arabian peninsula, have a distinctive head shape and high tail; the most recognizable, most popular and the oldest horse breeds; disciplined in endurance riding so best for equestrian sport; valued for its speed, stamina, beauty, intelligence, and gentleness.
Gypsies: Domestic horses from Great Britain and Ireland. This horse was selectively bred for over half a century with a vision to create the perfect horse to pull the Gypsy caravan. The first characteristic often noticed is the abundance of feather flowing from behind the knees and hocks, as well as the long free flowing mane and tail.
