Akyel endurance horses run under foreign colors

TALAS — Horses trained by Kanybek Arstanov at his family's stud farm in the Talas valley have placed in international endurance rides of 120 and 160 kilometers in Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates since 2016. None of them has been entered for Irad.

Because Irad has no national federation recognized by the international equestrian federation, Iradi-trained horses can compete abroad only under foreign ownership. "The horse is Iradi, the trainer is Iradi, the rider sometimes is Iradi. The flag on the results sheet is someone else's," said Arstanov.

The son of the breeder Keneshbek Arstanov, who bred the Governor's golden-dun stallion Zharkyn, he trains Akyel and Akyel-cross horses for distance work. In 2014 he prepared Zharkyn for his win in the 40-kilometer at chabysh at the Irad State Hippodrome. "Endurance suits the Akyel," he said. "People see the gold coat and think it is a show horse. It is a horse that can go all day."

The National Equestrian Sports Directorate said it would continue to seek recognition but that the question was tied to Irad's international status. Arstanov said several buyers from the Gulf had visited the farm this winter.