To participate

To manage

Beforehand

Opposite

Ground

To gather

To start

• Give antonyms of the following words:

Ancient

Possible

Round

To begin

To gather

To divide

National horse-sport games

The Kazakh people are fond of horses, treat them with special love and attention. That is why there are a lot of traditional events connected with horses. They are baiga, alaman-baiga, kokpar, kiz-kuu and others.

Baiga is one of the popular horse-sport games. Horses are prepared for this competition with special care. Such horses and their masters are in special honour. Baiga is held on a flat place in a village or at a town’s racecourse. Only well prepared horses take part in baiga. The race distance is from 1,200 to 10,000 metres. Winners are given valuable presents.

Alaman-baiga is a variant of baiga, known from the past times. It is an obstacle-race.. The distance is 25-100 kilometres. A victory in such competition depends on the horse’s and its rider’s hardiness. Alaman-baiga is announced officially with solemnity.

Kokpar is a spectacular kind of national games. During this game a horseman tries to take away a sheep’s carcass. In the past it was a wolf carcass, which was killed during the hunt. Kokpar teaches to be brave, resolute and enduring.

The rules of the game kyz-kuu (‘catch up the girl’) are very simple: if a girl catches up a boy she will beat him with a lash and if a boy catches up a girl he will kiss her. Kyz-kuu is held during big holidays and only young girls and young men take part in this game.

All these games form a real man: brave, courageous and adroit.

Audaryspak

(to pull the adversary from a horse in competition)

Audaryspak was also one of the most widespread traditions organized during feasts. It is one of the ways of checking strength and determination. Only strong zhigits usually take part in such competitions, and their horses need to be well chosen. Those who would take part in "Audaryspak" are divided into two groups. The object is to pull an opponent from a horse. Thus, it is very important that the horse and saddle objects are very strong. Sometimes the stronger competitor drags the adversary with his horse, leading to him being unseated.

As you have become aware, all physical training of the Kazakh people is connected with the living conditions and history. The Kazakhs had to defend their families and often fight on horseback. Remember that horses might be driven away from one clan by others, or that women might be stolen; so being able to pull an adversary from a horse might become more than a game. If somebody was trained well how to fight on a horse he wouldn't lose the fight. The Kazakhs in general are very peaceful people. They never like bloody scenes or killing. When they fight with cudgels, they try not to hurt an enemy's head badly, but want only to pull a foe from his horse, because without a horse the adversary couldn't fight. On the whole, Audaryspak is very useful in strengthening muscles and training zhigits for bravery. More than that it is one of the best means to learn self defense.