AKHAL-TEKE HORSES: HEAVENLY CREATURES
[VO] Chapter 1: 'When you wake up in the morning,
first check on your father,
and then check on your horse'
[Ishanguly Babalyev, Jockey]
[Ishanguly] I'm Ishanguly Babalyev. Since I was 10 in 2014,
[Ishanguly] I've ridden and raced horses, Granddad taught me
[Ishanguly] At first, I had lots of difficulties
[Ishanguly] I couldn't stay in the saddle and often fell off
[Ishanguly] I focused on gymnastics...
to be able to control my body. That sport toughened my body
[Ishanguly] And now, when I fall off a horse, I know how to land softly
[Ishanguly] My father, Enverguly Babalyev, is my role model
[Ishanguly] He's devoted his life to horse breeding and racing
[Ishanguly] He's ridden since childhood and has achieved a lot in the discipline
[Ishanguly] I followed in his footsteps and strive to become a true master, like him
[Ishanguly] Sometimes, I rewatch Dad's races to study his style
[Ishanguly] I'm also learning how he found an approach to each horse
[Ishanguly] Horses are different, some are fast, others slow, even then, he'd still win
[Orazguly] Go on! Catch up!
[Orazguly Babalyev, Honoured Horse Breeder, Turkmenistan]
[Orazguly] I was a jockey...
for many years, even in Soviet times
[Orazguly] I won many prizes
[Orazguly] The Horse Breeding Union knows me
[Orazguly] If they're watching, my regards to them,
my old Soviet friends
[Orazguly] Since I was 14...
I've worked with horses...
and riding
[Orazguly] My first race
was in Tbilisi, Georgia
[Orazguly] I won first prize on a horse named Garagum
[Orazguly] My father, Babaly Taimazov, was also a jockey and horse breeder
[Orazguly] We're preparing these horses for a race
[Orazguly] Before a race, we check horses over:
their mood, their fitness, in short, everything
[Orazguly] It's his breathing now
[Orazguly] Make more even circles
[Orazguly] More even
[Orazguly] Calm him down
[Orazguly] He's nervy, not too fast
[Ishanguly] My grandfather taught me the basics...
and my father taught me the ins and outs of horse riding
[Orazguly] We've all...
helped him to train
[Orazguly] And now he's getting ready to compete in the holiday races
[Kerven Yovbasarov, Honoured Artist, Turkmenistan]
[Kerven] Turkmen people have many songs, poems, and classical verses
praising racehorses, particularly if you look at the epic about Gorogly
[Kerven] Gyrat was Gorogly's closest companion
[Kerven] From beginning to end of the epic,
he was always at Gorogly's side
[Kerven] Gorogly devoted many odes and songs of praise to his horse, Gyrat
[Kerven] I've come for you from Chandybil
[Kerven] I yearn for you, you are my treasure, Gyrat
[Kerven] Come to me, Gyrat,
come to me,
come to me
[Kerven] As for my origin, I'm of Turkmen descent
[Kerven] Come to me, Gyrat
[Kerven] I yearn for you, you are my treasure, Gyrat
[VO] Chapter 2: 'It's not the horse that leaps, but happiness'
[Aybike Babalyeva]
[Aybike] I thank our president...
and I thank the horse
[Aybike] It provides for us all
[Aybike] All horse breeders round here have houses like this
[Aybike] Some don't get it
[Aybike] They think, 'They just ride a horse for a bit and get a car...'
[Aybike] What of the hardship, and how we worry about them?
[Aybike] God forbid, of course
[Aybike] I have three sons, thank God
[Aybike] They've all fallen off horses, all sorts happened
[Aybike] They leave at 4 or 5 in the morning
[Aybike] Like ballerinas, they watch their weight all the time
[Aybike] They're always hungry
[Aybike] They chew on different seeds just to curb their appetites
[Orazguly] Honoured Arkadag
devotes a lot of attention to horse breeders
[Orazguly] The eldest son is a master jockey
[Orazguly] He's a multiple champion of Turkmenistan
[Orazguly] His son, my grandson...
[Orazguly] Ishanguly...
[Orazguly] It's a job, like any other
[Orazguly] I have a son and grandson, so...
[Orazguly] I must teach them
[Reporter] When you get together, what do you talk about?
[Aybike] Only horses!
[Aybike] I tell them, 'Leave work at work!' But no! Only horses on their minds
[Aybike] Akhal-Teke horses have become a symbol of our people,
of Turkmenistan
[Aybike] They say a horse is a Turkmen's wings, so what's his soul then?
[Aybike] Soul?
[Aybike] Our Turkmens can't live without horses
[Aybike] For sure!
[Song] You push off the ground
with all four legs at once
and jump over rivers and obstacles!
[Song] Praise be to you, Gyrat!
[VO] Chapter 3: 'Where a horse warms up,
there will be a celebration'
[Ishanguly] Our country,
guided by Hero-Arkadag and the Esteemed President,
is creating ample opportunities for horse breeders
[Ishanguly] Every year, our country holds a grand celebration
to mark Akhal-Teke Horse Day
[Ishanguly] The festivities go on for a whole week
[Ishanguly] There are all kinds of events...
horse races, racehorse beauty contests, show jumping,
trainers' exhibition races, expositions...
[Ishanguly] It's one of the country's most popular holidays
[Annaoraz Orazov, Correspondent, Türkmenistan Sport TV Channel]
[Commentator] Fellow countrymen, we're with you at this amazing event
to celebrate the national Turkmen Horse holiday
[Annaoraz] It's a great event, an international beauty contest at the highest level
[Commentator] My fellow countrymen!
[Commentator] Please welcome into the arena...
a grey horse enters the ring, with stunning grace, it's Gözerli
[Commentator] Born in 2015, this grey is descended from the offspring
of horses belonging to the Gyrsakar sire line,
such as Görden and Solar
[Commentator] Look how his beauty seems to burst into the universe
[Commentator] This is a horse with incredible zest
[Commentator] As you can see in our arena,
he's showing the crowd his stunning beauty and unique movement!
Look, here at the bottom, can you tighten it properly?
Does it fit?
I'll cut it with a knife
There's too much alaja, lucky charm rope, I can remove the excess
[Commentator] And here are all the decorations...
made by our jewellers
[Commentator] They add greatly to the beauty of our gorgeous racehorses
[Commentator] It's breathtaking to see Gözerli
frolicking out there on the racecourse
[Shchirin Gylydzhova, Jeweller, Professor, State Academy Of Arts, Turkmenistan]
[Shchirin] To be quite honest...
[Shchirin] That was my first time making decorations for a horse
[Shchirin] The annual contest was a great opportunity
for me to put my skills to the test
[Shchirin] The idea was to make a Turkmen horse
look even more beautiful with my jewellery
[Shchirin] It took me a year
to make the whole set
[Shchirin] This decoration is in the shape of a cross, and in the centre,
as you see, there's a 'gevusbent', a decoration on the horse's chest
[Shchirin] Apart from being decorative,
it's meant to protect the animal like armour
[Shchirin] Like everyone else,
I wanted my work to add to the horse's beauty and glory
[Shchirin] My efforts did not go to waste,
the horse wore my set for the beauty contest and festivities
[Shchirin] I'm really happy about that
[Shchirin] Today, thanks to the efforts of the Hero-Arkadag and Arkadagly Serdar,
our culture can boast of huge achievements
[Orazguly] Our whole family...
was always involved...
with racehorses
[Orazguly] My father once, back in Soviet times,
in 1956, travelled to England, where he presented the Queen
with an Akhal-Teke horse called 'Melegush'
[Orazguly] And I travel to different countries too, on behalf of the Esteemed Arkadag,
bringing Turkmen racehorses as gifts
[Orazguly] I delivered a horse to Boris Yeltsin and took a horse to Putin as a gift too
[Orazguly] They know! He's posing!
[Orazguly] He knows you're filming so he's...
he's posing, look!
[Song] You truly are a heavenly horse,
praise be to you, Gyrat!
[Song] You wear horseshoes of gold and silver!
[Song] Praise be to you, Gyrat!
[Song] Your neighing echoes all around
[VO] Chapter 4: 'With each fight, a warrior becomes braver:
with each run, a horse becomes faster'
[Commentator] Attention, dear fellow countrymen!
[Commentator] The horses are off
[Commentator] Have a good run, guys!
[Ishanguly] Many jockeys lack patience
[Ishanguly] They tire the horse out before the finish line
[Ishanguly] There's a competitive atmosphere in races,
when you want to beat an opponent who's beaten you in earlier heats
[Ishanguly] After a few failures, you change tactics,
study your opponent's riding style and habits,
and ride more laps during training
[Ishanguly] You do all you can to beat him
[Orazguly] Great! Look how well it went the 2nd time!
[Orazguly] Open breathing, everything open
[Orazguly] The heart's fine, breathing's fine
[Reporter] Is horse or rider more important? [Orazguly] Both
[Orazguly] The trainer prepares the horses. When the horse is ready...
it's up to the rider
[Ishanguly] I usually accelerate off the bat and try to keep the lead
all the way to the finish line. That's my thing
[Ishanguly] The goal is to cross the finish line
without damaging the horse's health,
and to try to use the full potential of the horse during the race
[Song] Lift your leg, Gyrat, I'll nail the horseshoe
[Song] I'll put...
henna on your leg from the knee down
[Song] I'll feed you in the evening and let you graze in the morning
[Song] Gyrat, take me to Chandibil
[VO] Chapter 5: 'When you're on a horse, mind yourself:
when you're off, mind it’
[Rakhman Abaev, Fellow, Turkmen Agricultural University, Turkmenistan]
[Dr. Rakhman] This is a special solarium
[Dr. Rakhman] After training, if we suspect that the horse
has inflammation of the back muscles, shoulder muscles,
hind group muscles,
we take it to the solarium and apply various therapeutic ointments,
carry out medical procedures and physical therapy...
and examine mobility, morphology, limbs
[Dr. Rakhman] We also measure and weigh the animal
- 393 - 393
[Dr. Rakhman] My assistant notes it
[Dr. Rakhman] The Akhal-Teke horse is a delicate breed. It's thin-boned, has thin skin
and a thin layer of fat
[Dr. Rakhman] All over the world, it's used to improve the breed
[Dr. Rakhman] We monitor its characteristics to ensure they never change
[Dr. Rakhman] Compared to other breeds, they recover faster
physiologically after racing. They get back to normal quickly
[Dr. Rakhman] Rearing horses in Turkmenistan
is usually done individually
[Dr. Rakhman] The horse is part of the family
[Dr. Rakhman] That's why they have...
such a refined character
[Dr. Rakhman] It's an old tradition here, passed on from generation to generation
[Dr. Rakhman] They're the last bloodline of...
wild horses...
the world's closest breed to wild horses -
heavenly horses!
[Dr. Rakhman] That's why they're considered sacred animals
[Orazguly] They're desert horses, don't need much water!
[Orazguly] They tolerate heat well, just like us, Turkmens
[Orazguly] In 1935, we held a rally from Ashgabat to Moscow...
on these horses...
in summer, across the Karakum Desert!
THE PARTICIPANTS COVERED A DISTANCE OF 4,152 KILOMETRES IN 84 DAYS
[Orazguly] Some travelled to Moscow on bicycles...
others on kayaks
[Orazguly] In 1935, the Turkmen government said:
'We have Akhal-Teke horses, so let's ride to Moscow from Ashgabat'
[Orazguly] We created the most beautiful horse: the Akhal-Teke breed
[Orazguly] It's considered to be...
the world's oldest breed
[Song] Inspiring fascination, you exhibit swiftness
[Song] You can catch a fleeing gazelle
[Song] You're as gentle as a maiden
[Song] Praise be to you, Gyrat!
[VO] Chapter 6: 'A horse is a Turkmen’s wings:
a carpet is his soul.'
[Narly Nuryev, Editor, 'Heavenly Akhal-Teke Horses' Magazine]
[Narly] The ancient Greek historian Herodotus,
known as 'the father of history',
said some of the world's most beautiful horses
roam the Nisaean plain in the east
[Narly] 'Those horses are worthy of great honours,
there is not the slightest doubt about that'
[Narly] These words of Herodotus refer to the 3rd - 4th centuries BC
[Narly] Some say that this is where heavenly horses lived
[Narly] There are ruins of the Nisa fortress on our land
[Narly] As you know, the fortress of Nisa
was the first capital of the powerful ancient Parthian Empire
[Narly] Turkmens called their steeds 'Nisaean'
after the Greek name for the Parthian Empire's capital
[Narly] Various items made from ceramics and enamel depict our horses
with the perfectly recognisable features that we still see today
[Narly] Among the images and wax products found in ancient Nisa,
and in the capital of ancient Margush, Gonur Depe,
as well as in Gurganj, the capital of Khwarazm,
there are pictures of beautiful horses resembling Turkmen heavenly horses
[Maya Ataeva, Guide, Turkmen Carpet Museum]
[Maya] The national treasures of the Turkmen people are their horses and carpets
[Maya] So, we say water is the life of the Turkmen people,
the horse, the wings, and the carpet, the Turkmens' soul
[Gyzylgul Amanova, Craftswoman, Staff Member, Turkmen Carpet Museum]
[Gyzylgul] The carpet is woven with this special kind of loom
[Gyzylgul] It's mandatory to use this type of cutter,
designed to trim the threads during weaving
[Maya] Our carpet technique is to make them with as many knots as possible
[Maya] Average carpet density ranges
from 200,000 to 400,000 knots per square metre
[Maya] These carpets are of medium density
[Maya] This one is high density – 1,148,000 knots per square metre!
[Maya] Thanks to this, the threads can't move back and forth, that's how tight it is
[Maya] These carpets' size attracts people
[Maya] Our museum boasts the world's largest giant carpet
[Maya] This carpet is 14 m by 21.5 m wide
[Maya] The carpet covers a total of 301 square metres!
[Maya] Giant horizontal looms are used to make such a carpet
[Maya] Forty women must work together in sync to create one
[Maya] The resulting pattern is crystal clear, everything is sharply defined
[Maya] The large motifs include 5-headed eagles
[Maya] Even at the top of it, there's a 5-headed eagle
[Maya] It symbolises the unity of Turkmenistan's 5 regions
[Maya] This carpet proclaims: 'We're one people!'
[Gyzylgul] Ordinary decorated carpets, those with images of our 5 regions
and national patterns,
are something we carpet weavers know by heart
[Gyzylgul] Then we go on to weave landscape carpets
[Gyzylgul] To do this, we work with carpet artists
[Maya] We have a saying:
'Spread your carpet, I'll see what's on your mind'
[Maya] Now I'd like to show you a copy of the most ancient carpet...
the Pazyryk rug
[Maya] The original was found in 1949 in the Altay Republic
by the Russian archaeologist Rudenko
[Maya] The original is in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg
[Maya] We have 3 copies in our museum
[Maya] The carpet is 5,000 years old. It's the oldest carpet in the world,
and it has very beautiful patterns
[Maya] Our forefather, Oghuz Khagan, had six sons
[Maya] Each son had four more, leading to a total of 24 Turkmen tribes
[Maya] Another thing: beautiful Akhal-Teke horses
can be seen trotting along the ornamental edge
[Maya] It's the history of how they went into battle
[Maya] Here is a rider on a horse, and here's another walking by
[Maya] If the leader's horse accidentally got hurt,
this was his spare steed
[Maya] None of the other riders could ever ride on the leader's horse
[Narly] I want to mention, with pride,
one glorious Akhal-Teke horse called Arab
[Narly] He had the honour to inscribe his name
in the history of the glorious Akhal-Teke breed
by participating in the Victory Day Parade
[Announcer] Commanding the parade is Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky.
[Announcer] Hosting the parade is Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov.
[Narly] A white horse had to be chosen for the Victory Day Parade
[Narly] When training began, Marshal Zhukov himself was present
[Narly] The horses were put in a special area to rest after training,
and the orchestra was asked to play a festive march
[Narly] When the music started, Arab jumped over the fence
and began to dance to the music
[Narly] Zhukov admired the horse's grace and beauty
[Narly] He saw Arab dancing and said:
'I will only host the parade with this horse'
[Narly] I also want to proudly recall another Akhal-Teke horse:
the famous Arab's grandson, Gyrat
[Narly] He took part in the Moscow military parade
on the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory
[Narly] 65 years later, I...
[Narly] Major Bayramdurdyev...
also rode across Red Square
[Narly] This horse is known around the whole world to this day
[Narly] It's part of history!
[Song] Dearest Gyrat, forever indebted am I!
[Song] You spread your wings and fly
[Song] For you I am yearning
[Song] My worldly strength and power!
[Song] When in that hour over Aral's tributary you were leaping
[VO] Chapter 7: 'I won't call you my horse;
I will call you my brother'
[Ishanguly] My horse's name is 'Meydanly'
[Ishanguly] That means 'free'
[Ishanguly] We started training when he was just a foal
[Ishanguly] We get on very well and have a spiritual connection
[Ishanguly] He's 3 years old now
[Ishanguly] I've only raced with him once
[Ishanguly] Akhal-Teke are the most sensitive of all horses
[Ishanguly] When training them,
harsh methods should always be avoided
[Ishanguly] They react to how you treat them
[Ishanguly] If you're callous, you won't be able to form a connection
[Ishanguly] If you care for a horse as if it were your child, it will respond in kind
[Ishanguly] Likewise, it will respond to cruelty by refusing to obey commands
[Ishanguly] If you beat it, it'll take offence and may even stop eating or drinking
[Ishanguly] Then you can forget about establishing good relations
[Ishanguly] This is what distinguishes them from other breeds
[Ishanguly] Akhal-Teke can only be tamed with affection and care
[Ishanguly] They choose one person and are loyal only to them!
[Ishanguly] We still have a lot to work on
[Ishanguly] Meydanly can't maintain the right trajectory in a circle yet,
and we don't always do so well at the start
[Ishanguly] I'm now training him to make a perfect circle
speed up after the turn,
and to maintain full speed until the finish line
[Ishanguly] That'll improve results
[Ishanguly] God willing, we'll show what we're capable of at the holiday races
[Pirli] Akhan, Akhan...
[Pirli] This is Akhan
[Pirli Bayramdurdyev, Rector, Aba Annaev International Academy of Horse Breeding Distinguished Horse Breeder, Distinguished Artist, Turkmenistan]
[Pirli] This is my horse
[Pirli] I've known him since he was young
[Pirli] He's like family
[Pirli] Right, Akhan? Right?
[Pirli] You're family, right?
[Pirli] You're my family, right?
[Pirli] My family!
[Pirli] This is the favourite horse of our dear Arkadag
[Pirli] No one will be able to match his record
[Pirli] He walked 10 metres in 4 seconds
[Pirli] Prior to this,
a horse belonging to the Arabian Sheikh Al Maktoum held the record
[Pirli] He set the 10-metre record in 11 seconds
[Pirli] Akhan broke his record in 4 seconds: that's nigh on impossible
[Pirli] I'm sure no one will replicate this
[Pirli] No doubt about it
[Pirli] You must be in shape and have your act together
[Pirli] You can't relax
[Pirli] Whenever I walk in,
the guys and even the horse know to stand at attention!
[Pirli] That's why I can't relax, I always have to be on FIRE!
[Pirli] We're always on fire
[Pirli] Our national equestrian games group, 'Galkynysh',
was created by the Hero-Arkadag himself
[Pirli] At this stage, our team can train at any time of year
[Pirli] One of our groups is based in the city of Arkadag
[Pirli] We have a small circus there,
but a new large circus complex with no equal in the world
is currently being built in the city of Arkadag,
which was founded by our Hero-Arkadag
[Pirli] Since the city bears Arkadag's name,
this complex will be the only one in the world
that can accommodate 200,000 people
[Pirli] As this is where our Akhal-Teke horses,
horse breeding, equestrian sports, and national equestrian games
will be further developed,
[Pirli] Aba Annaev International Academy of Horse Breeding
will also be built here
[Pirli] Of course, our Hero-Arkadag is building an equestrian town
so that us horse breeders
can preserve our heritage for future generations,
and develop equestrian arts
[VO] Chapter 8: 'If a horse is fast, don't seek other merits'
[Konstantin] This is a molecular genetics lab at the 'Türkmen Atlary' state association
[Konstantin] The laboratory conducts genetic analyses of horses
in order to confirm their pedigree
through genotyping
[Konstantin Golovkin, Head, Molecular Genetics Lab, 'Türkmen Atlary' State Association]
[Konstantin] It's nearly the same method used in forensic examinations,
when you need to confirm parentage,
except that's human DNA
[Konstantin] Here is where we store batches of 46 DNA samples
from horses
[Konstantin] We've already processed over 3,000 samples...
and there's a total of about 6,000 Akhal-Teke horses
[Konstantin] We open the lid...
put in the samples, and close it
[Konstantin] We press the button and the analysis begins
[Konstantin] An analysis on this device takes about 8.5 hours
[Konstantin] After that, we send the data to the breeding department
[Konstantin] They draw up and prepare the horse's passport
[Konstantin] These horses are eligible to race
[Konstantin] If the horse's pedigree isn't confirmed, it's removed from the race
[Commentator] The horse you see is named Gözel, which means 'beautiful'
[Commentator] He's a descendant of Gözbash and Gulbahar
from Niyazov University of Agriculture
[Commentator] The horse's breeder is Ataev, and the rider is Taychaev
[Commentator] By the way, there are students from this university at our event today,
who are showing their respect for this horse, Gözel, with joy and enthusiasm
[Commentator] Such respect and honour inspires courage in people's hearts
[Song] Miracle horse, what a revelation!
[Song] Pride and glory of our great nation
[Song] The race is on, the people rise,
[Song] Delighting as the fleet steed flies
[Song] Turkmen horse astounding every side,
[Song] Your name and song spread far and wide
[Song] We're fast growing rich and refined
[Song] This steed is a national treasure sublime
[VO] Chapter 9: 'A horse proves itself on the track;
a man proves himself in battle’
[Commentator] Today, on this holiday, our fans, guests, and spectators
are making festive bets among themselves, as always
[Commentator] This has already become a tradition
[Translator] Are you nervous? [Ishanguly] Yes, a bit
Can the horse sense it? Are you ready?
[Ishanguly] I'm ready, and the horse is fine... just a bit nervous
[Translator] How many entries are there? What's your number?
[Ishanguly] There are 9 horses, I'm in the 8th spot
[Translator] What place do you think you'll come in?
[Ishanguly] I can't say, that depends on fate
[Ishanguly] But the horse is in good shape and a fighting spirit
[Translator] Nervous?
[Orazguly] Of course! How can I not be? You can't avoid it
[Translator] How do you think he'll do? [Orazguly] We'll see… Time will tell
[Translator] How's the horse? [Orazguly] In good shape
[Orazguly] As they say: 'Horses gallop, happiness follows'
[Orazguly] Come here
[Orazguly] Start off calmly and ride as you see fit, OK?
[Ishanguly] OK!
[Orazguly] Don't rush, he'll do his best
[Orazguly] Got it? All right, let's go
[Commentator] At number 8 is Meydanly -
descendant of the steeds Melegush and Gözelsen
[Commentator] He belongs to Turkmenistan's Industry and Construction Ministry,
raised and trained by horse breeder of Turkmenistan Orazguly Babalyev
[Commentator] The jockey is Ishanguly Babalyev
[Commentator] Attention!
[Commentator] The horses are ready! The bell! The horses are out! God bless you, guys!
[Commentator] Good luck and let's go!
[Commentator] Running as one herd,
the horses are shaking up the race track
[Commentator] Meydanly tries to take the lead right out of the gate
[Commentator] Next to Meydanly, Merjen is holding second place
[Commentator] You can see Dorgozel galloping in third
[Commentator] The racetrack is heating up
[Commentator] This is the tenacity of our Akhal-Teke horses!
[Commentator] They're approaching the final turn
[Commentator] The finish line is straight ahead
[Commentator] Dovamat and Dorgozel are fighting it out
[Commentator] Dovamat is keeping to the far lane
[Commentator] Dorgozel is galloping on the inside
[Commentator] Dovamat, the beautiful horse of our Arkadagly Serdar,
is first to cross the finish line
[Commentator] Our congratulations to dear Arkadagly Serdar
[Commentator] We sincerely congratulate you on your victory and Dovamat's success!
MEYDANLY FINISHED ONLY SIXTH
'HE WHO HAS A HORSE WILL NEVER GRIEVE'