Jidir (horse race)
The horse race held at Novruz and at popular festivals.
About
Cidir is a horse race: the rider who covers the distance first wins. It is held mostly at the Novruz holiday and at popular festivals; the field, the day and the conditions are fixed in advance. Specially prepared and trained horses are chosen for it. Zurna players play at the start and at the end of the race.
The winner receives the largest prize, and the other riders are given presents too. In Karabakh the races were held mainly in spring and autumn; in Shusha there is a plain set aside for them, the Cidir Duzu.
In Karabakh there is also a form of cidir played on foot: the players strike a staff 1 metre 40 centimetres long against a post or an axe handle and try to send it as far as they can. This game recalls practice in throwing a spear and aiming at a distant target.
Peoples
Research: Vasif Namazov, Turan Games Concept
