Turkmenistan marked Horse Day this weekend with another horse race and another win by the country’s horse-mad president. It was the first time President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has raced publicly since he fell headfirst over his steed last year. That dramatic fall, just after the finish line, was expunged from official video of the event, but leaked out nonetheless. So did video of Berdymukhamedov’s guards carelessly handling his limp body and neck after the fall.This year, riding lucky number seven, a stallion known as Garahan (“Black Khan”), Berdymukhamedov won, “with an impressive margin over the other riders," the official Turkmenistan.ru online newspaper said. "The crowd stood up and with a wild, lasting ovation greeted the winner of the race, the president of Turkmenistan, who yet again showed the great mastery of an experienced and brave rider, [with] purpose and the will to win!" the state-run TDH news agency reported on April 26. The president won a “magnificent rider named Beghan,” Turkmenistan.ru reported, which he gifted to the Galkynysh ("Revival") equestrian club. Second- and third-place winners received SUVs. After the race, Berdymukhamedov attended the finals of a horse beauty contest. In the “Mr Turkmen Horse” category, Gorkmaz ("Fearless"), a four-year-old stallion, won his owner a Mercedes SUV and trophy, personally delivered by Berdymukhamedov himself. Berdymukhamedov also used the holiday to unveil a 37-meter golden monument to an Akhal-Teke racer called Yanardag ("Burning Mount"), who is pictured on Turkmenistan's national coat of arms, TDH said.
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