Parade

I am a mother of four, grandmother of two. My husband is a dental surgeon: we live in North Oxfordshire, in the centre of England. I work in our local theatre as a stage manager and scenic artist. I have been interested in horses all my life, riding since the age of seven, but have never been a horse owner. In 1994, after all my children had left home, I started going on horse riding holidays to some more unusual destinations, Mongolia, Ladakh, Northern Pakistan, Iran and last year Turkmenistan.

As a teenager I used to read the UK publication Horse and Hound. I still have a black and white picture from a front cover of an edition in 1958, of a herd of Akhal Teke horses in what was then the Soviet Union. I never dreamt then that I would actually be seeing these creatures in their native land, so when the chance came……!

Silver harness on a couple of parade participants

By all accounts Turkmenistan, along with the other Central Asian states, did not leave the embrace of the Soviet Union willingly, after the fall of communism. However, she had little choice in the matter, and so became an independent state in 1991. The President now encourages the Turkmen culture and customs, suppressed under communism, giving the country its unique identity: Independence is celebrated annually on 27 October, and so last year, the tenth anniversary, presented an opportunity for special festivities.

Bridget hanging her exhibition

We had hints when we rode there in April of what was to come: the most exciting prospect for us was that of a parade of a thousand horses! My friend Bridget Tempest, an artist, saw another chance to paint the famed Akhal Teke horses, a major part of the Turkmen culture, so despite the fact we were quite unable to discover any sort of programme, we took the decision to return. Bridget set about successfully persuading the British Embassy in Ashgabat to organise an exhibition of her paintings that had been inspired by our previous trip.

Justin from the British Embassy and Bridget out riding.

Bridget arrived in Ashgabat a few days before me in order to give some classes to students at the Art Academy. We were fortunate to be able to stay in a house rather than a hotel: the garden contained chickens and pomegranate trees, and the owner, who cooked us delicious meals, would give Bridget Russian lessons over breakfast!

This was not to be a riding trip, but horses did, of course feature heavily. We were fortunate that Justin Tait from the British Embassy was organising everything, especially as he is an Akhal Teke fan. We rode with him in the mountains a few kilometres outside Ashgabat on a couple of occasions: he rents a golden dappled ex racehorse stallion named Melechep. On our return from the second ride we stayed on to a Halloween party held at the stables: masks, dancing, food and vodka to the accompaniment of stamps and whinnies close by!

Some of the paintings.

Bridget’s exhibition was held in the Art Gallery of the National Museum, a marble hall, formerly the Railway Workers’ Palace! Some of her paintings were initially hung at the Agricultural College, where a conference on ‘The Role of Akhal Teke Horse in the Formation of World Horse-Breeding’ was held, similar to those that take place in April, but this time in honour of the celebrations. We attended the opening session, meeting up with Louise Firouz and Caroline Anns-Baldock, both of whom were speaking. The national anthem was sung, a message from the President was read, and a number of papers were given, including one by Louise’s colleague Dr Ghiadi, from the Jargalan district of Northern Iran, where the Turkmen still carry on their traditional customs, such as horse races at marriages. The conference then split into several groups, at one of which Bridget’s lecture on ‘The Influence of the Eastern Horse on British Sporting Art,’ was given in Russian.

Presidential Box at the Hippodrome. The big portrait of Yanardag is by a Turkmen artist.

Before the exhibition opening, Bridget’s paintings moved yet again, this time to the Presidential Box at the Hippodrome! When we delivered them, an amazing sight met our eyes — in the brilliant sunshine stood endless rows of ten horses, extending over halfway round the racetrack! All the riders wore the red striped silk coats of the Turkmen, with black or white shaggy telpeks on their heads, each one carrying the green flag of Turkmenistan! The tribal leaders headed groups from different villages, even more resplendent in long cloaks and colourful costumes, on very spirited horses. All who had them had brought out their old harness, many of the bridles and neck straps made of beautiful silver. So there really were a thousand horses, all of which had been rehearsing under the direction of Geldi Kyarizov, the Director of the Turkmen Atlary, since six o’clock in the morning!

Hippodrome dancers

We returned in the afternoon for the parade proper, though alas, the President did not put in an appearance. With many events over a ten day public holiday, he presumably had difficulty fitting everything in. Nevertheless, small boys were carefully dusting red carpets, and colourfully clad dancers and musicians were entertaining the crowds. The huge statue at the entrance to the Hippodrome of the President with a proud Akhal Teke, grey when we last saw it in April, was now gleaming gold. The afternoon began with a parade of the country’s top horses, headed by Yanardag and Piyada: to see these horses proudly posing as the long and stirring National Anthem played brought tears to the eyes. There was not a dry eye in the house during the parade, either — the chant of Halk, Watan, Turkmenbashi (people, country, father of the Turkmen people) emphasised by a very powerful PA system, with the tossing of heads, waving of flags and the endless sea of horses and horsemen (even including two lines of horsewomen, ten of which were from Justin’s stables!) produced a heady atmosphere. The entertainment was completed with several races.

Exhibition opening

An eventful day was then rounded off by the opening of the exhibition, entitled ‘Ancestral Horses’ which included equestrian works by Turkmen artists as well as Bridget’s paintings. Russia was also represented by some works of Aleksey Glukhariov, an artist from Moscow whom we met at the conference, who was in Turkmenistan to paint some of the leading Akhal Teke’s. Turkmen Television showed it all, including the speeches by our British Ambassador Fraser Wilson, the Turkmen Deputy Minister of Culture, and the Director of the National Museum. Bridget presented one of her paintings to the Museum Director, for the Turkmen people. The evening was attended by many ambassadors, and Louise was delighted to see the paintings of some of her horses. The following evening Bridget gave her lecture at the British Ambassador’s residence to the English speaking residents of Ashgabat.

Golden horse

The rest of our week was packed full of surprises. We drove out to the enormous encampment where most of the thousand horses were spending the week. Avenues of military tents, with medical vans and fire engines in attendance, housed the owners and riders, and many of their sons. We asked whether any of their wives had come — there were just a few women to do the cooking and the washing up, we were laughingly told! As far as the eye could see, horses small and large were tethered, some in the traditional felt blankets. They ranged from graceful looking Akhal Tekes, to scruffy village ponies, in varying condition. The owners told us each village had been given substantial sums of money for their horses to take part, and most had travelled by train! We were very sorry to learn that at the end of the week we missed seeing the horses being loaded onto trains for their homeward journey. Another regret was missing a buzkashi game at the camp one evening, we did not hear about that till after it had happened! And we did not take up the invitation to return for an evening of singing and dancing!

Carrying fodder in the horse camp

We were driven east from Ashgabat to see if we could find the mares we rode in the spring. Stopping at a tumbledown farm in the middle of nowhere to ask about them, we saw a number of horses contentedly grazing a young green crop, wandering free with no fences — they were indeed our mares, all looking very well although covered in burrs and ticks and apparently pregnant. Our accompanying black stallion must have had a most enjoyable trip with the mares in the spring!

Boy in horse camp showing off

At the end of the week the temperature changed overnight — one evening we were walking back home in our shirtsleeves, the next morning we had to wrap up in winter clothes! This was the day of the auction at the Hippodrome. As we did not have thousands of dollars to spare, the cold soon overcame our excitement at viewing some splendid animals, and we went to one of the stable blocks at the far side of the racetrack to see some prizewinning horses, including a grandson of Absent and a most beautiful pale gold three year old stallion that Bridget decided must feature in a painting. Horse owners in Turkmenistan love to lead their prize animals out of the stables for you, and the horses all seem very eager to pose! We returned a couple of days later so Bridget could sketch the golden stallion. I felt I was in a dream as I held this amazing creature in his loosebox, but the session was soon interrupted by the horse being required for an international fashion shoot on the racecourse! Old silver harness was put on the horse, who was helping to show off beautiful silk dresses based on traditional designs.

Golden Horse

We took a short trip outside Ashgabat to see the same owner’s mares and youngstock. We were greeted by the surreal sight of ostriches in a field next to the horses’ enclosure! Stallions and foals inhabited a block of looseboxes, turkeys wandered round the yard, and as well as the ostriches we were amazed by the sight of two Iranian fighting sheep, sporting fearsome looking horns, thankfully tethered, by a camel, goats and calves.

Iranian Fighting Sheep

Saturday 27 October was the actual Independence Day, so this was reserved for the military parade. The day dawned cold and wet, but this did not deter the large crowds we joined walking down the wide avenues in the new parks towards the centre of Ashgabat. We stationed ourselves behind a TV camera, watching interviews with bearded veterans wearing telpeks, and men with many medals on their jackets. For an hour we stood , freezing, as the well drilled troops marched past, followed by the immaculately painted and polished hardware, with planes and helicopters overhead.

Piyada on parade

After the military came the people, veterans, sportspeople, workers, singers and dancers. The President was evident on the huge video screen by the parliament building, where he was watching in conditions somewhat warmer than ours!

On the Sunday we had a second chance to see the equestrian parade at the Hippodrome. The weather had not let up, and despite the same singing, dancing and chanting the atmosphere was not quite the same as it had been under the sun! We took the opportunity to watch from the trackside, so we could see the details of these horses and riders. Their trappings ranged from the traditional to modern, from saddles and bridles held together with string to brand new Russian cavalry saddles (there is no saddler in Turkmenistan) and exquisite silver harness. The riders included boys barely more than toddlers as well as bearded veterans.

Golden Horse at a fashion shoot

Near the end of the trip Bridget took the opportunity to pass on some of her skills to the young pupils of Ashgabat’s International School. Bright and eager youngsters of many different nationalities spent a happy afternoon painting their impressions of the equestrian parade under her expert guidance. The school is close by the magnificent new National Museum building; after Bridget had presented her painting, the museum director, an artist himself, kindly invited us to see the magnificent collections of Turkmen artefacts. Alas, we did not have time to do the place justice, but promised to return to study the Ancient History Hall with its unique rhitons, (ivory libation vessels) and the Ethnography Hall containing a magnificent collection of Turkmen weapons, wedding outfits, jewellery and carpets. There is even part of a meteorite that fell in the north of the country in 1998.

Park sculpture

Our stay was rounded off on the morning before we flew home by a very special photo session — we were given permission to photograph the great Yanardag and Piyada. We spent a little time talking to them in their stalls, a couple of friendly horses who enjoyed the attention and nibbling our hair and coats. Relaxing at home they looked nothing. But as soon as they were led outside (and the sun had returned for this!) they were different horses, ears pricked, necks arched, they would be issued with Equity cards in England! They provided a superb ending for our extraordinary trip!