Master of racehorses
Horse whinnies and clip-clopping footsteps on rural roads have become familiar to residents of Duc Hoa District, especially in the communes of Hoa Khanh Dong, My Hanh Nam, Duc Hoa Thuong and Hoa Khanh Bac.
The Phu Tho Racecourse, one of the most modern tracks in Southeast Asia, opened in 1936 and is located in district 11, Ho Chi Minh City. The course promoted the development of racehorse breeding in localities around the city.
Over time, it has been said that the racehorses from Duc Hoa District were stronger, had greater endurance and won more victories than horses from elsewhere. The ‘brand’ of Duc Hoa racehorses has made a deep impression on those who love these powerful and loyal animals.
Most people in Duc Hoa district keep horses, according to 72-year-old Nguyen Khanh Lam from Binh Thuy Village, Hoa Khanh Dong Commune, who has a strong and lifelong attachment to racehorses.
When he was 32 years old, he bought a one-year-old crossbred racehorse from Spain and named it Xich Ve. One year later, he ran the horse in many races, of which Xich Ve was crowned champion in succession.
Racehorse breeding is felt as a calling and vocation among breeders, said Lam. In order to train a horse successfully, there must be a special friendship between the breeder and the horse.
In addition to Xich Ve, Lam has also trained several other horses – such as Hong Anh, Ma Thanh, Thoai Lang, to name a few – and won many other races. For him, the trophies and medals that his horses won are beautiful memories of a heroic past.
Joy with ‘racehorse’ hoof’
It is not only the older residents of Duc Hoa District who have a strong attachment to horses; young people have followed the village tradition. One such man is 34-year-old Tran Van Hieu from My Hanh Nam Commune. He works as a motorbike mechanic, but he has had a deep passion for racehorses for nearly ten years.
Hieu bought a horse worth VND55 million four years ago and named it Ma Phi Long. However, the horse only took part in ten races before the Phu Tho track closed. Watching their horses race always brings joy and happiness to the horse breeders, So Hieu is saddened when he sees that Ma Phi Long can only hang about in his garden and whinny.
Hieu and many other horse keepers hope that a racecourse that has been built in Duc Hoa District can be put into operation during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. It would be a place for racehorse lovers to meet and exchange experience.
