A horse racing competition aimed at preserving and promoting the Jumli horse breed will take place in Guthichaur, Guthichaur Rural Municipality-2, Jumla, on Ashwin 24 (October 10), coinciding with the festival of Phulpati. The Karnali Sports Club and Guthichaur Youth Club are jointly organizing the seventh edition of the Jumli Horse Race, as confirmed by Karnali Sports Club Vice President, Nabin Thapa.
The competition will reward the top three participants with cash prizes of NPR 15,000 for the winner, NPR 10,000 for the runner-up, and NPR 5,000 for the third-place finisher. Financial support for the event is being provided by Guthichaur Rural Municipality and the Animal Hospital and Livestock Service Office, Jumla. So far, 45 horses have been registered to participate, according to the Karnali Sports Club.
The primary aim of the race is to preserve and promote the unique identity of the Jumli horse breed while boosting tourism in the region. “Our cultural heritage is at risk of vanishing. Despite this, support from all three levels of government has been lacking,” said Gyanendra Badtha, head of the Livestock Service Office. He added, “This race helps preserve our ancient culture, as horse racing has been a longstanding tradition in Jumla, held annually on Phulpati during Dashain.”
Previously, the event was held at the Jumla Airport, but due to recent asphalt paving, the location has shifted to Guthichaur.
Source: RSS
