horse race

On Sunday, July 14, a brand new star of the trotting horse race shone within the 1800 m distance of the Širvintais Hippodrome. Having reached a velocity that was 6 seconds higher than the set norm within the qualifying run – 1 min. Three-year-old trotter Gentle Star’s 20.29s/1000m earned her first place in her first graded race.

Gentle Star (Sav. Nerijus Simanynas), coached and guided by Stasios Kēris, crossed the end line after 2 minutes. 22.526 sec. (1 min. 19.18 sec./1000 m). Second was Jolly Lady Ed (weekly Darius Vaidotas) and Egidijos Gudonis (2 min. 24.505 sec), third – Magija (weekly Diana Jarmalavičienė) and Juozas Kvakšys (2 min. 25.395 sec).

Panther Face (Sav. UAB Faktus), led by Ernesto Juškauska, gained the primary place within the race for grownup trotting horses A score. The duo lined the gap in 2 minutes. and 18.333 sec. (1 min. 16.85 sec./1000 m). Second completed Magistras (Dubčiai ŽŪB), led by Stasios Kėris (2 min. 8.937 sec), third – Otello, led by proprietor Algimantas Pamarnack (2 min. 22.328 sec.).

Eruption Cass (UAB “Lietuvos žirgynas”) and Antanas Juškėnas duet (2 min. 20.671 sec., 1 min. 18.94 sec./1000 m) got here first within the race of grownup trotting horses B score. Second was Čirvas and proprietor Gedvilė Vinslauskaitė (2 min. 23.122 sec), third was Favoritas and proprietor Irmantas Gramackas (2 min. 23.239 sec.).

The following trotting race will happen on July 28. (Sunday) at Širvintais Hippodrome.

Republican League of Racehorses based in 1999 and is the one group in Lithuania that takes care of trotting horse breeding (runs a racing trotting horse breeding program) and organizes races of this horse breed. The objective of the league is to popularize skilled and novice trotting horse sports activities, to symbolize trotting horse homeowners, trainers and handlers.

What happened last Saturday at the Lazdija racecourse proved once again that Lazdija is a land of horsemen, and the people of our land are big lovers of horse sports.

On January 13, after a break of several years, the Lazdijai Hippodrome was full of people and great emotions, this year’s first trotting race organized by the Republican Racing Horse League was held here, in which 17 horses and athletes from various parts of Lithuania participated.

It is nice that the competition took place on the initiative and efforts of the Republican Racing Horse League and Dzūkija horsemen.

A large number of spectators gathered

Since the track of the Lazdijai hippodrome is not suitable for such competitions in the warm season of the year, the horsemen of Dzūkija decided to conduct the competition on the icy track, which they poured themselves.

Although the weather was not kind on Saturday, it was cold, but long before the start of the competition, hundreds of cars turned towards the racetrack, whose passengers wanted to see the spectacular spectacle.

There were really a lot of people who wanted to admire the race, it was difficult to fit cars in the parking lots around the racecourse. Not only Lazdi residents came to watch the competition, but also a considerable number of guests from other Lithuanian municipalities.

The organizers of the competition made an effort to make it convenient for the spectators to watch the trotting competition, they provided high-quality audio, prizes, and the competition was broadcast live on social networks. The good mood was supported by the musicians on stage, led by maestro Juozo.

Four races took place during the competition, which were very attractive and gave the spectators a lot of great emotions. It’s nice that Lazdi people were among the winners.

Hoping to find a compromise

Joana Kērytė, president of the Republican Racing Horse League, said that she is very satisfied and very happy that there was an opportunity to organize such a race in Lazdijai.

“We prepared the race track ourselves, we had fantastic support from Lazdija horsemen, a lot of people contributed, we also thank Dzūki žinias, we braced our shoulders, paved the trail with our own strength, made the most of the opportunities and created a celebration for the people,” said Joana.

She said that she has been in charge of the Republican Racing Horse League for the second year and aims to revive this sport.

“All marketing actions only prove that people need this entertainment, it is an impressive pastime, we are always in nature watching horse races, we can meet friends, we can come with family. I don’t know who else can offer such entertainment in all seasons of the year. We are unique and impressive with our performances, because those horses are adventurous,” said the head of the league.

When asked whether she will try to continue the dialogue with the authorities of Lazdijai district regarding the prospects of equestrian sports, or whether she will try to prove to the leaders of Lazdijai that trotting races are really beneficial for everyone, J. Kērytė answered: “There have been many attempts to talk with the authorities of Lazdijai district, their position is currently Of course I respect her. They want time to assess our possibilities, maybe they need time to understand us, maybe it’s realistic on their part. I don’t look to the past, I look to the future. The league is changing, I said we were on the fringes of equestrian sport. We have potential and opportunities, our prospects are great, we can create a wonderful form of leisure for the public,” said Joana.

She believes that despite the stagnation and silence from the leaders of Lazdijai, time will help the league and the municipality of Lazdijai district to find a compromise.

“My goal is to make this sport professional and elite in small steps. This is a big challenge, but we are moving forward, developing international relations, we will establish a normal base in a few years and hold high-level competitions”, Joana is confident.

He was happy about the opportunity to start at home

The multiple winner of Lithuanian and international competitions, Ernestas Juškauskas from Lazda, who participated in this competition with two horses, became the winner of the fourth race.

He started at the racetrack of his hometown for the first time after a break of many years.

“The power of people, I don’t remember when I’ve seen so much, people support us, it proved once again that Lazdia is the land of horsemen. It’s always fun to start at home, you feel supported. We organized everything ourselves, poured the ice, we are all trying, it was great to compete in such conditions”, Ernestas shared his impressions.

He said that he was satisfied with his result, he rode with two horses, and during the race in Lazdijai there were a total of four horses prepared by him, the others were ridden by colleagues.

“One of my horses was disqualified because he galloped, it was a photographer’s mistake, he was too close to the track, the horse was scared of him. I would be the first in the first ride, this is the first case in my career when a horse got scared because of a photographer”, said Ernestas.

In his opinion, Lazdia needs equestrian sports, which, according to Ernesto, would be confirmed by every person from Lazdia you meet on the street.

“After the competition, we received good feedback, everyone is asking to organize more such events. This time everything happened thanks to the enthusiasts, we were able to pour the ice path ourselves in difficult conditions. After such competitions, there were people who asked where they could get their license so they could drive too,” said Ernest.

Honors rise
In the race of adult horses A rating the first place was won by Brave Sensation, driven by Egidijus Gudonis (2 min. 56.757 sec), the second by Sorana, driven by Saulius Mikulevičius (2 min. 58.213 sec), the third by Magistras, driven by Stasios Kėris (2 min. 58.685 sec).
In the race of adult horses B rating the prize places were distributed as follows: first place – Chiang and Stasys Kērys (3 min. 02.936 sec), second place – Eck Boy and Egidijus Gudonis (3 min. 03.128 sec), third place – Eruption Cass and Antanas Juškėnas (3 min. 03.780 sec. .).
In the C-ranking race for adult horses first place went to Hypnotist and Ernest Juškauskas (3 min. 07.096 sec.). Favoritas and Irmantas Gramackas (3 min. 07.679 sec.) were not far behind, and Gladiatorius and Monika Vinskutė crossed the finish line third (3 min. 08.103 sec.).
In the four-year-old horse race Misteris was the first to run, led by Ryčis Lepeška. The duo covered the distance in 2 minutes. 58.492 sec. Galatea, led by Monika Vinskutė, crossed the finish line second (2 min. 59.075 sec), Perlas, led by Stasios Kėris (2 min. 59.382 sec.), came third.

This has never happened in Lazdijai – in two weeks of January, two trotting horse races took place at the Dzūkija hippodrome in our city.

Residents of Lazdi and guests of our region remember very well the trotting race that took place on January 13th at the hippodrome, which attracted crowds of spectators and received great attention and praise.

On Tuesday, the competition organized by the Republican Racing Horse League was again held at the hippodrome. Since they were held on a weekday and were not widely advertised, there were fewer spectators.

Joana Kėrytė, the president of the Republican Racing Horse League, said that this competition is a rehearsal before the traditional horse race that will be held in Sartau on February 3.

“We made them on such a day so that we could pass. Due to the rain, not all registered participants could come to the race, but all the planned runs took place. This was another race we had on the schedule for the weekend of January 27th, but we ran it on Tuesday because of the horses’ training regime. After fast rides, horses must have a certain duration of rest. We chose that day so that it was in line with the horsemen’s training system, we used the ice at the Lazdijai hippodrome,” said J. Kērytė.

When asked whether the thaw did not harm the ice quality of the Lazdijai hippodrome, J. Kērytė said that a very thick layer of ice was poured before the competition on January 13, so the positive air temperature did not damage it.

After asking how the people from Lazdia did in this competition, the president of the league said that all the participants of the competition did well, and Ernest Juškauskas even won two first places.

“Most importantly, the horses were able to have a real sense of competition. We have a great cooperation with the director of Lazdijai sports center Darius Liaukevičius, he supports us a lot. After Tuesday’s race in Lazdijai, we feel well prepared for the Sarti race, which is organized by our league,” said J. Kērytė.

She was happy that the event in Dusetos is strongly supported by the mayor of Zarasai district municipality.

“For me, the perspective of the whole of Lithuania is important, not of individual municipalities, when developing the sport of racing horses. We can create a great form of leisure for all people in the regions. This sport is for Lithuania and all Lithuanian people,” said J. Kėrytė.

She promised that the people of our region will be able to watch all the races organized by the Republican Racing Horse League directly on the “Dzūki žinios” social network account.

38 trotting horses are registered to participate in the “Sartų 2024” race, the race program has been published. A total of 7 races are planned, one of which is an international race, where trotters registered in foreign countries come. For the first time in the race, the leaders of the trotting sport of 2023 will be awarded in three nominations: “Lietuvos rekordas”, “Coach of the Year” and “Manager of the Year”.

Joana Kērytė, director of the Republican Racing Horse League, was happy: “The nominations were inspired by the high-quality results of trotting horses and handlers in 2023, as well as the rapidly increasing professionalism. It is symbolic to announce the awards in Sartais – one of the biggest annual trotting horse races and the biggest event dedicated to this sport in Lithuania takes place here. The race will traditionally go down in history, and we will celebrate the winners throughout the year.”

The duo that won the highest prize place will receive a cup with the inscription “Sartai 2024”. The trotter will traditionally be decorated with a wreath, and the handler will receive a cash prize. The total value of this year’s prizes ranges from 2,800 euros in the group of four-year-old trotters to 4,500 euros in the group of adult A-rated trotters.

According to J. Kērytė, it is expected that the participants will show an adventurous racing spirit on Saturday, although every year Sarts is surrounded by uncertainty and considerations – whether the race will take place or not. It is true that the season is just beginning, so we can expect an interesting fight from the participants and surprises when the trotters cross the finish line.

The list of winners of the Sarti race has been recorded since 1979 and is published RLŽL website.

Republican League of Racehorses founded in 1999 and is the only organization in Lithuania that takes care of trotting horse breeding (runs a racing trotting horse breeding program) and organizes races of this horse breed. The goal of the league is to create favorable conditions for members to introduce themselves and popularize the sport of professional and amateur trotting horses, to represent owners, trainers and handlers of trotting horses.

RLŽL information