By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Karabakh horses are perhaps one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on the planet. 

Strong and powerful, they are a symbol of national heritage and pride. It is believed that the Karabakh horses are one of the oldest breeds in Asia.

Colors of the Karabakh horses can be red, buckthorn, brown, bay, gray, or golden-red. Known for their stamina, the Karabakh horses are an ideal mount for Chovgan traditional horse riding. 

Chovqan, a traditional horse-riding game, played on Karabakh horses, is inscribed on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Thanks to the support of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, major work has been done in recent years to promote national horse breeds as an Azerbaijani brand worldwide. 

Since 2012, Karabakh horses have been successfully representing Azerbaijan at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

The Windsor Royal Horse Show is traditionally organized in honor of members of the royal family in the UK.

The equestrian show has become an extremely important platform for the promotion of Azerbaijan's ancient culture.

This year, Azerbaijan is represented at the equestrian show by a cavalry detachment and a dance ensemble of the State Border Service, which stunned the audience with their performances, Azernews reports.

At the Royal Windsor Horse Show, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne,  Azerbaijan presented a special show "Land of Fire" organized by the Azerbaijani Equestrian Federation with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Riders brilliantly demonstrated their horse-riding skills to the sounds of national music. The spectators enjoyed the state flags of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom fluttering in the hands of the riders. 

Colorful show prepared by Honored Artist Nijat Kazimov featured the equestrian performance on  Karabakh horses accompanied by the Sarhadchi Dance Ensemble led by Honored Artist, choreographer Farid Ibrahimov. An exciting show, traditional music, and dances literally enchanted the British audience. The show program was greeted with great enthusiasm by the participants in the event. 

Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth II received a delegation led by President of the Azerbaijani Equestrian Federation Elchin Guliyev at Windsor Palace.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was presented with a gift from President Ilham Aliyev- a Karabakh horse called Glory. The horse presented to the Queen was brought to Windsor Castle and handed over to the new owner with a certificate containing all the information.

The statues of the Karabakh horse breed  Alkhan and Dilbaz horse breed Qalxan created by the Azerbaijani sculptor Faig Hajiyev were presented to Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty thanked Elizabeth II for the gift and thanked her for her traditional participation in the Windsor Royal Horse Show.

Notably, among the special gifts presented to Her Majesty Elizabeth II in 1956, was the Karabakh horse Zaman. The gift was presented by Nikita Khrushchev but this horse was not shown at the Windsor Castle.