The Turkmens have always been
passionate enthusiasts of racing. Moreover, speed was an important attribute
of the war horse and for centuries their horses were selectively bred
to develop and maximise this quality. There is evidence that in Europe
too the methods used to train racehorses originated in Central Asia.
In respect of speed the Akhal-Teke comes second to the English Thoroughbred
and to warmbloods with a high proportion of Thoroughbred blood. Akhal-Teke
breed bears the following records: 1000 m – 1.03,9; 1200 m – 1.16,7;
1400 m – 1.28,5; 1500 m – 1.40,2; 1600 m – 1.43,6; 1800 m – 1.57,0;
2000 m – 2.11,5; 2400 m- 2.41,6; 2800 m – 3.09,6; 3000 m – 3.00,5; 3200
m – 3.40,9; 4000 m – 4.39,2.
The twentieth century presented the Akhal-Teke with
new challenges. Today a riding horse is first and foremost a sports
horse and the most ancient breed has also excelled in this field. Everyone
has heard of the black stallion Absent, seven times national
dressage champion, first Soviet champion at the 1960 Rome Olympics and
medallist at two subsequent Games. Absent's marks in dressage - 82.4%
have not been surpassed. Absent's sire, the gray stallion Arab
(Kazbek) took part in the famous 1935 ride from Ashkhabad to Moscow,
covering 4300km in 84 days. For the next 12 years he successfully competed
in the All-Union eventing and show jumping championships and at the
age of l6 - a respectable age by any standard - became national show
jumping champion in the prestigious "USSR Cup" and "Supreme Class".
In the Puissance Arab cleared 2m l2 cm. Nor did his
offspring shame their famous sire, Absent. Abakan, Arguvan, Dombai
and others were all in the national dressage team. Another Akhal-Teke,
the small light bay Poligon set new Puissance records over five
successive years, achieving a maximum height of 2m. 25 cm. When the
long jump was an official competition the Akhal-Teke stallion Perepel
"flew over" 8m 78 cm.
For the third year in succession (l999-2001) horses belonging to the
Akhal-Teke breed (Man, Arslan, Kovum, Karamashal and others)
are winning and being placed at the World Cup show jumping competition
qualifiers in the countries of the Central Asian region (Bishkek, Alma-Aty,
Tashkent).
The Akhal-Teke also possesses the essential qualities
for the discipline of eventing which requires rapid recuperation after
intensive effort. Such representatives of the breed as Propeller,
Maksut, Galambiya, Bugar and others have demonstrated their ability
by winning and being placed in major three-day events.
The Akhal-Teke also has a promising future in the
sport of endurance riding which is growing in popularity all over the
world. Akhal-Teke horses have long been renowned for their great powers
of endurance. In l945 the stallion Tarlan won a 500 km endurance ride
in which eight different breeds took part. More recently, in l999, when
endurance riding was once again included in the sporting calendar after
years of being consigned to oblivion, the Akhal-Teke stallion Peikam
won a testing l20 km marathon around the Moscow ring road, amd in 200l
the stallion Zabeg became Russian champion over 60 km.
The twentieth century presented the Akhal-Teke with
new challenges. Today a riding horse is first and foremost a sports
horse and the most ancient breed has also excelled in this field. Everyone
has heard of the black stallion Absent, seven times national
dressage champion, first Soviet champion at the 1960 Rome Olympics and
medallist at two subsequent Games. Absent's marks in dressage - 82.4%
have not been surpassed. Absent's sire, the gray stallion Arab
(Kazbek) took part in the famous 1935 ride from Ashkhabad to Moscow,
covering 4300km in 84 days. For the next 12 years he successfully competed
in the All-Union eventing and show jumping championships and at the
age of l6 - a respectable age by any standard - became national show
jumping champion in the prestigious "USSR Cup" and "Supreme Class".
In the Puissance Arab cleared 2m l2 cm. Nor did his
offspring shame their famous sire, Absent. Abakan, Arguvan, Dombai
and others were all in the national dressage team. Another Akhal-Teke,
the small light bay Poligon set new Puissance records over five
successive years, achieving a maximum height of 2m. 25 cm. When the
long jump was an official competition the Akhal-Teke stallion Perepel
"flew over" 8m 78 cm. 
The Akhal-Teke also possesses the essential qualities
for the discipline of eventing which requires rapid recuperation after
intensive effort. Such representatives of the breed as Propeller,
Maksut, Galambiya, Bugar and others have demonstrated their ability
by winning and being placed in major three-day events. 
The Akhal-Teke also has a promising future in the
sport of endurance riding which is growing in popularity all over the
world. Akhal-Teke horses have long been renowned for their great powers
of endurance. In l945 the stallion Tarlan won a 500 km endurance ride
in which eight different breeds took part. More recently, in l999, when
endurance riding was once again included in the sporting calendar after
years of being consigned to oblivion, the Akhal-Teke stallion Peikam
won a testing l20 km marathon around the Moscow ring road, amd in 200l
the stallion Zabeg became Russian champion over 60 km.