At the finish line, 2026
We are not against horse races. Our grandfathers raced, our sons race, and at chabysh is part of every big wedding and feast. But a 30 km race in July heat is hard on a horse, and at village and wedding races there is often no vet and no water at the finish. So, when the family or the village asks us, we come with buckets, sponges, a water tank and a vet, and check every horse that comes in.
| 2026 | Races | Horses checked | Treated for heat or exhaustion | Lame | Died | Riders under 12 seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 2 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| June | 4 | 71 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| July | 5 | 96 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| August | 6 | 118 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| September | 5 | 89 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| October | 3 | 52 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Season | 25 | 460 | 45 | 13 | 3 | 24 |
Only the races we were invited to; races at the State Hippodrome have their own vets and are not counted here.
What we ask
The races at the Hippodrome follow the Directorate's rules: no rider under twelve, and a veterinary check at the finish. We think every race, in every village, should follow the same three rules:
- Water and shade at the finish, and someone to walk the horses until they cool.
- A vet or a trained person at every race over 10 km.
- No rider under twelve, and a helmet on every rider. We lend helmets free: 120 lent since 2018, 9 not yet returned.
Most of the families we work with agree. Several now write our telephone number on the invitation, next to the time of the race.
Page updated: Wednesday, 28 October 2026. This page is written by Kulun, a member of Köpürö, and hosted free of charge on kopuro.org.