The General Chairman of the Central Board of the All-Indonesia Equestrian Sports Association Aryo Djojohadikusumo, hopes that the horse racing tradition in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) will continue to be preserved.
Aryo attended the traditional horse racing event which took place at the Rihi Eti Praliu Horse Racing Field, East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara.
"It's extraordinary, we from PP Pordasi and the Government are here with a number of programs to develop equestrian sports, especially in the NTT region and its surroundings. And thank God, I received a report from the Dandim of East Sumba, that 106 young people from East Sumba have successfully passed the registration to become Cavalry Soldiers in 2025," said Aryo Djojohadikusumo in an official statement quoted in Jakarta, Tuesday.
The East Nusa Tenggara Traditional Horse Racing event, titled the 2025 Udayana IX Military Commander's Cup, is a collaboration between the East Sumba Regency Government, the East Sumba Regional Military Command (Pordasi), and the 1601/East Sumba Military District Command (Kodim). The championship is the responsibility of the 1601/East Sumba Military District Command, led directly by the Commander of the 1601/East Sumba Military District Command, Lieutenant Colonel Inf. Dobby Noviyanto.
This horse racing championship involved 786 horses coming from several regions in NTT and competing in the preliminary round which was held on October 14-23.
Participants who pass the preliminary round are entitled to take part in the final match which will be held on October 25, competing in 15 competition classes based on horse age groups.
According to the Regent of East Sumba, Umbu Lili Pekuwali, this championship, which is being held for the third time in NTT, is a cultural heritage and has existed even before the existence of modern racing competitions.
"Hopefully, in 2026, the NTT Traditional Horse Racing event in East Sumba will be held at least three times a year. Therefore, we urge the breeders to maintain and improve the quality of their horses for next year's championship," said Umbu Lili Pekuwali.
