By KENGO HIYOSHI/ Staff Writer
January 20, 2020 at 17:25 JST
OBIHIRO, Hokkaido--It's early in the morning and bitterly cold, but that doesn't interfere with training for Banei horse racing here, a one-of-a-kind experience that tests endurance, strength and speed.
The event, unique to Hokkaido, involves draft horses weighing about a ton each completing a 200-meter straight stretch with two raised slopes while hauling an iron sled up to one ton in weight on which the jockey is perched.
When training was held at a racecourse here Jan. 19, the city's lowest temperature was minus 13.3 degrees.
The breath of snorting horses provided a dreamy contrast with the orange-tinted early morning sky.
Tours to watch the training, available to just 15 participants each time, are held throughout the year. Tours held every Sunday in winter are particularly popular. Organizers said slots for tours up to March 22 are fully booked.
Unlike traditional horse racing, the winner in Banei events is determined by when the rear end of the sled crosses the finish line.
The event dates from the late Meiji Era (1868-1912) when Hokkaido, the northernmost main island, was being developed.
Races are held each Saturday through Monday throughout the year.
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A draft horse hauls a heavy iron sled during training for the Banei horse race around 7 a.m. on Jan. 19 at a racecourse in Obihiro, Hokkaido. (Kengo Hiyoshi)
