A woman riding an authentic Kurdish horse in Bokan city, West Azerbaijan province, Iran in October, 2025. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The fifth Authentic Kurdish Horse Festival was held in Iran’s (Rojhelat) Bokan city, in the Kurdish-majority West Azerbaijan province, with 34 horse owners participating and around 3,000 spectators in attendance.
“The purpose is to display authentic Kurdish horses and introduce them to people who are interested. God willing, they will become familiar with this good sport in our area,” Azad Akbarpour, director of the Bokan equestrian board, told Rudaw.
Participants came mainly from the provinces of Hamadan, Ilam, Kermanshah, and Sanandaj, with a small number of women among the competitors.
“The fifth Authentic Kurdish Horse Festival is underway here. In this festival, 34 authentic Kurdish horses are participating from all the surrounding cities,” said equestrian Shapol Majidpour. “They are displaying the beauty of Kurdish horses,” she added.
One of the main goals of the festival is to preserve the authentic Kurdish horse - a breed distinguished by its head, neck, eyes, withers, and legs, and renowned for its strength. The Kurdish horse was historically used for hard labor and in battles.
“With the help of my friends from the Bokan equestrian committee, we organized the fifth Authentic Kurdish Horse Festival in the city, with participants from Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan provinces. More than 3,000 people attended the event,” said Milad Mustafavi, a member of the Bokan equestrian board.
The Kurdish horse is among the most resilient and capable breeds, consisting mainly of three types: Jaf, Afshari, and Sanjawi. It is raised across Kurdistan and several other regions of the world.
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