The draught horse and ban’ei keiba races

In Obihiro, in the south-east of Hokkaido, special horse races are held. I wanted to take advantage of my stay in Sapporo to go and see this event, which you can attend on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The journey from Sapporo station to Obihiro on the Ozora line takes around 2 hours 45 minutes. I arrive around 2 p.m. and take the opportunity to savor a local specialty, butadon, pork with rice. At midday, the racecourse opens its gates. At the entrance is a small altar visited by the faithful, the horse being considered sacred in Shinto.

In Hokkaido, the draught horse was used for agricultural work. This tradition has given rise to ban’ei racing, a power performance in which a sled is pulled and the jockey stands on it. The 200-meter-long track is made of gravel and features two obstacles, 1m and 1.6m high, which competitors have to clear. Power is favored over speed, and the winner is the jockey who crosses the finish line, horse and sled included. The weight of the sled is adjusted to the age and weight of the horse, some of them can weigh up to a ton.

Horses warm up before heading for the start. The exhilaration of the race makes them fiery and enhances their robust bodies. Breeds from Brittany and Belgium, as well as the Percheron, have been used to create the Japanese breed. Each horse is uniquely dressed.

Once warmed up, the horses wait in stalls while the sleds are prepared. Then it’s off to the starting block, where some of the horses get excited as the start approaches.

At the signal, everyone gallops off and the first obstacle is quickly passed. During these races, spectators can follow the competitors along the track, and some of them personally encourage their favorites.

At the second obstacle, each jockey uses his own strategy to save his horse’s strength and gain ground. Some stop for a few seconds, while others attack the slope directly. At the finish line, the spectators excitement is at its peak.

Once all the sleds are lined up behind the finish line, the horses are unhitched and leave the track to make way for the next race. The gravel is raked while the other competitors get ready.

These draft horses are trained to be athletes in the same way as English thoroughbreds in speed races. These races are very popular in Japan. What makes ban’ei racing so special is that it is unique in the archipelago, and rooted in ancient traditions.