When most people around the world think of horse racing their imaginations zip them off to the huge racetracks in the UK or US.

      Then, of course, there is the horse culture related to show eventing and hunting, all of which have a very western flavour to their overall aesthetic.

      This can sometimes mean that other rich equestrian cultures get forgotten. Such is the case with Indonesian horse culture, which is almost as strong today as it was centuries ago, when horses first came to the country’s shores, brought by the Chinese T’ang dynasty in 627 A. D. and the later Yuan dynasty in 1280.

Horses are deeply respected by those who inhabit Indonesian islands like Sumbawa

Race Days Steeped in Tradition

Although you will find nothing like the Grand National or the Epsom Derby on Indonesia’s shores, the country still has a rich tradition of racing horses.

The races typically take place on the island of Sumbawa, which is not too far from the popular tourist islands of Bali and Lombok.

Rather than placing wagers at official bookmakers, punters make their own odds in the stands, with wise old heads passing judgement and giving tips on which horses should perform well. Whereas most racing punters in the west these days have access to a range of free bets, statistical analysis and expert opinion, in Indonesia horse race goers simply have their intuition and generations of tradition to call upon in order to pick a winner.

What makes racing on Sumbawa particularly special is that the only horses raced there are the island’s traditional breed, called Sumba and also known as Sandlewoods, which are ancient descendants of Mongol stallions, as we shall see in the following section.

Indonesian racehorses are typically smaller than the thoroughbreds raced in nearby Australia, as well as in Europe and the US

Gymkhanas with a Twist

Gymkhanas in the west these days are usually weeklong affairs, such as the Olympia Horse Show in London or the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham, with tens of thousands of people coming from all over the country, and indeed internationally, to soak up the equine atmosphere.

The same rings true for the events frequented by Indonesian horse fanatics, but with a more local and much less corporate feel. You will not see Rolex adverts or Longines banners at any of the gymkhanas hosted on Sumbawa.

The biggest festival of them all is the 1001 Sandalwood Horses Festival, which brings the finest equine specimens from across Samba Island, where they are decorated, paraded, and put through their paces, until finally a winner is chosen by the judges.

Another slightly more brutal horse meeting is the Pasola Festival, where Indonesian warriors on Sumba Island ride horses across a beach while launching spears at their rivals. This one is not for the faint hearted and shows why Sandlewoods are so revered for their speed and manoeuvrability.

Horses Still Run Wild on Sumba Island… Almost

Wowshack.com was at the forefront of showing off Sumba Island’s horse heritage to the world when we launched an article detailing how wild Sandlewood ponies roam the island’s white sand beaches.

These horses are actually looked after by locals, but the images made for compelling viewing and give an idea of how intertwined equestrianism and everyday life are on the island, a far cry from the fully domesticated beasts that roam gated pastures in the western world.

With other neighbouring islands such as Lombok and Bali now being overrun by tourists it is hoped that relatively untouched islands such as Sumba can retain their traditional way of life, which includes how closely they hold horses to their hearts.