HUNDREDS OF HORSE-RIDERS TO COMPETE IN BANDUNG RACE

Jakarta, Oct 7 (ANTARA) - Some 130 horses will compete in a prestigious race at the Arcamanik Racecourse in Bandung, West Java, on October 18 and 25, 2009, a spokesman for the event's organizers said.

"Participants in the second series of the national horse race will come from Bandung, West Sumatra, North Sulawesi, East Java, Central Java, West Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, Riau and Jakarta," vice chairman of the All-Indonesia Horse Riding Sports Association (Pordasi) , Eddy Saddak, said here Wednesday.

The organizing committee would divide the race into several categories, namely category A for a distance of 1,300 meters upto 2,200 meters, category B for 1,200 meters to 1,850 meters, category C for 1,100 meters to 1,600 meters, category D for 1,000 meters to 1,400 meters, and category E for 1,200 meters, he said.

The national horse race this time would be held in two stages, the first qualifier to be held on Sunday (Oct 18) and the final round will be conducted on Sunday (Oct 25), he said, adding the competition was expected to produce optimum horse performance.

The participants who will appear in the two series has given warming up for jockeys and horses, where most of them previously took part in the Ramadan Cup which took place in Jakarta on September 13.

The horse riding race as a recreational sport was expected to attract foreign and domestic tourists, the spokesman said.

Unfortunately, the government had not yet optimally carried out athlete coaching for horse races, Eddy Saddak said.