Each year, on the ninth day of the first lunar month, Go Thi Thung in An Xuan commune (now Tuy An Tay commune) comes alive with the rhythmic sound of galloping hooves.

From early morning on the ninth day of Tet, the road approaching Go Thi Thung is already crowded with people and vehicles. With no grandstands or seating, spectators form several circles around the race track. As the drums resound, the race begins.

Mares once accustomed to transporting farm produce becoming racing horses on the Go Thi Thung track.

The distinctive appeal of the Go Thi Thung Horse Racing Festival lies in its “non-professional” character. The horses are not thoroughbreds trained for racing, but mares accustomed to carrying agricultural produce, whereas the stallions are brought along merely for display. The jockeys are not athletes but farmers whose lives remain closely tied to the fields.

When the race concludes, the reward granted to the first-place rider and horse amounts only to a modest token prize. What lingers far longer is the shared joy within the community, the strong bond among villagers, plus the pride in preserving a folk cultural tradition passed down through generations.

Echoes of hoofbeats in village memories

The Go Thi Thung horse race is not merely a competition; it also serves as an occasion through which rural memories are revived.

Horses have long been closely associated with the lives of local people in what was once Phú Yên (now eastern Dak Lak) for hundreds of years. Historical records note that the Tay Son brothers once selected Phu Yen horses, which contributed significantly toward the victory at Ngoc Hoi - Dong Da in the spring of Ky Dau 1789. During the Nguyen Dynasty, successive emperors likewise selected horses from this region.

In the early 20th century, Phu Yen’s horse herds numbered in the hundreds, with packhorse teams traversing forests across mountains for the transport of goods to the Central Highlands. During the resistance wars, these horses continued participation in many notable battles, becoming a symbol representing the resilience alongside the courage of local people.

According to Mr. Pham Van Anh from the Culture and Social Affairs Division of Tuy An Tay Commune, An Xuan (formerly) was widely known for horse breeding. Today, with modern transport available, the sight of packhorses has gradually become rare. Nevertheless, for local residents, horses remain a treasured memory as well as a source of pride. Many families continue raising horses not solely for production purposes but likewise for participation in the Go Thi Thung Horse Racing Festival each spring.

Amid the pace of modern life, as numerous traditional values fade, the Go Thi Thung Horse Racing Festival endures as a vivid testament illustrating the vitality of community culture.

Translated by HAI LOAN