At the Irkutsk hippodrome, as part of Zimniada, unusual competitions were held where riders on horses towed skiers and snowboarders. Children had to stay on skis for 300 meters, and adults had to cover 800 meters at speed and complete tasks on the course. Organizers made the breaks bright and fun, guests rode horses and sleds, were treated to hot tea, and invited to join contests for the best snowman.
The essence of the competition is that riders on horses tow a skier or snowboarder on a rope. The task of the young participants is to stay on their skis at a steady, low speed developed by the rider and the horse: whoever reaches the finish line first wins. The distance for children is short - 300 meters. Adult athletes compete at high speed; in addition, while moving they must go around special poles set along the course - thus, the winner is determined not only by who reaches the finish line first, but also by who correctly completes the tasks on the 800-meter course.The specifics of the competition are such that there is a fairly noticeable interval between runs, so the organizers tried to entertain the spectators and participants of the championship with horse and sleigh rides, contests for the best snowman, and also offered everyone hot tea. According to Vadim Teplov, curator of the equestrian sports competitions, as part of “Zimniada” at the Irkutsk hippodrome on March 1 and 2 there were also show jumping competitions among adults and children on horses and ponies. These competitions have traditionally been popular among Irkutsk residents. The winners were presented with commemorative certificates and cups. In total, 80 thousand rubles were allocated from the city treasury to finance these events.
Based on materials from the press service of the administration of the city of Irkutsk