Harman Patil (Editor)

Ban'ei

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Type
  
Outdoor

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Venue
  
Dirt Racetrack

Ban'ei

Country or region
  
Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan

Ban'ei (characters meaning 輓(pull) 曳(play), written as ばんえい) is a form of horse racing where draft horses compete by pulling heavily weighted sleds up sand ramps while being urged on by jockeys balancing on top of the sleds.

Contents

The horses used in the races are often either purebred or crosses of Percheron, Breton, and Belgian breeds.

Ban'ei races are now only held at the Obihiro Racecourse as the popularity of the races has waned in recent years. The Obihiro racecourse nearly closed in 2006 before Softbank, a Japanese mobile phone company, provided funds for the races to continue. Odds Park Hai was established in 2007 as expression of gratitude. Other companies, such as Rakuten and Sapporo Breweries have since joined in and several support schemes have been initiated, including a race-sponsoring scheme for individuals.

History

Ban’ei racing has its probable origin in agricultural work, when horses were used to pull farming machinery and sleds of wood. Eventually, the horses were tested for speed and strength in festivals of the late Meiji Era.

The popularity grew, and in 1953, Hokkaido’s four cities (Kitami, Asahikawa, Iwamizawa, and Obihiro) began to manage races. Races were run until three of the cities: Kitami, Asahikawa, and Iwamizawa closed operations in 2007 due to declining revenues. Obihiro racecourse is now the only one currently active and hosts races almost every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Races do not occur in March, as trainers use the beginning of month to start preparing new horses. Races are also held on additional days to mark special occasions, such as New Year.

Overview

The Ban-ei course consists of a 200-meter dirt track with lines separated by ropes laid in the sand. This creates ten lanes, each with a starting gate and incorporating two hill-shaped obstacles. The second and steeper hill obstacle is called the “Ban’ei Point”. Horses haul sleds across this track, with sleds weighing from 450kg(sled as empty) to 1 ton in “Ban’ei Kinen”.

Jockeys stand and balance on the sled, using long reins as a whip and weight slabs under the feet of the jockey to replace the lack of a saddle. Jockeys must weigh 75kg, and if the jockey is underweight, more slabs are added to meet this weight. Horses are often deliberately stopped after first obstacle to give them a rest before being ushered to climb the second one. A horse has not finished until the whole sled is behind finish line.

After the race completes, race horses are freed from the sleds and led to the backyard, while sleds are moved back to the starting gate with the aid of a trolley.

Amount of weight that horse has to pull is determined by several factors. Younger horses and mares are not required to pull as much as their older or stallion counterparts. Money earned by the horse helps to determine the group and rating, and therefore weight that must be pulled. The group the competing horse is in is labeled 1-26, and groups are rated with Open, A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, C2 or D. This is similar to system used in local Japanese thoroughbred racing. Weight allowance of jockeys is either 10 kg or 20 kg based on the number of wins.

Because ban'ei racing is about strength and not speed, the winning time of big races is often slower than lower class races, where even small overtime can get horse quickly disqualified. With suitable ground conditions, horses pulling lightly-loaded sleds can clock speeds under 50 seconds.

Condition of the track is described using measured moisture percentage.

The track is repaired manually by trackworkers either during or between races. Watering is used to prevent excess dust for irritating horses and people.Heating system allows racing at winter months.

Horses

Horses in ban'ei are often either purebred or crossbred variations of Percheron, Breton, and Belgian. Their weight can surpass 1 ton, which is twice that of a Thoroughbred.

Potential stock is chosen from draft horses raised for meat. Most ban'ei horses start official racing as two-year-olds after passing inspection held between April and August. Horses that do not pass inspection are either sent back to a breeder as they can be used in events or tourism, or to feedlot.

Competing horses are mainly solid-coloured, but there have also been pinto ban'ei horses and two dominant whites.

Former racehorses not eligible for breeding are usually sold for meat. At the end of every fiscal year during the end of March, prolific retiring racehorses are honoured at their own ceremony. NAR gives yearly award to best horse.

Japanese Draft Horse

Japanese Draft Horse (Nihon Bankei Shu, 日本輓系種) is a breed with open studbook created by crossing purebred and halfbred horses together for five consecutive generations. (Horses that don't meet this requirement have been registered since 2003 as "半血種".)

Eight draft breeds have been listed as eligible for breeding program: Ardennes, Clydesdale, Shire, Brabançon, Breton, Boulonnais, Belgian and Percheron. (This isn't directly comparable to breeding stock available - as 2015, purebred stallions in stud are Bretons and Percherons, while data regarding new registrations of broodmares from 2014 indicates that from purebreds, three are majority: Bretons, Percherons and Belgians.)

Japanese Drafts are used mainly in ban'ei and horsemeat production. The ideal horse has draft phenotype and "hybrid vigour".

Breed doesn't have any colour or marking specifications. Colours of bay, chestnut, flaxen chestnut, black, gray and variety of roans have been recorded since they also exist in purebreds. In extreme cases horse may have multiple facial markings and all legs marked with white.

Open studbook policy has led to pinto pattern - one female family used in ban'ei can be traced to single stallion born in 1967, while dominant white seen in two horses was spontaneous, manifesting itself at 2010.

Prevalence of hereditary diseases is unknown, since at least one Western scientific source lists breed as "ban-ei" without hereditary diseases.

(As comparison, Japanese scientific database uses correct breed name.)

Records

Horses:

  • Kintaro (キンタロー) (1979 - 1986) won 32 races, winning 116,725,000 yen.
  • Takara Fuji (タカラフジ) (1983 - 1990) won 27 races, winning 103,490,000 yen.
  • Hikaru Tenryu (ヒカルテンリユウ) (1985 -1992) won 27 races, winning 104,611,000 yen.
  • Asagiri (アサギリ) (1987 -1994) won 41 races, winning 102,512,000 yen.
  • Maruzen Burgi (マルゼンバージ) (1988 -1996) won 22 races, winning 107,517,000 yen.
  • Fukuichi (フクイチ) (1991 - 1999) won 30 races, winning 111,481,000 yen.
  • Sakano Tyson(サカノタイソン)(1996 - 2002), 19 starts(Longest winning streak)
  • Kanesa Black (カネサブラック)(2004 - 2013), 72 starts(Most wins)
  • These horses didn't retire to stud:

  • Super Pegasus (スーパーペガサス) (1998 - 2006) won 42 races, winning 100,739,000 yen.
  • Kotobuki Ryan(コトブキライアン) (2002- 2016), 488 starts (Most starts, longest career)
  • To be listed to ban'ei racing's "Hall of Fame", horse's lifetime earnings has to exceed 100,000,000 million yen

    Jockeys and trainers with over 2,000 wins:

    Active as jockey or trainer:

  • Takumi Fujimoto(藤本匠) - Since 1983, over 3,500 wins
  • Ohkawara Kazuo (大河原和雄) - Since 1985, over 3,000 wins
  • Fujino Shuninchi (藤野俊一) - Since 1986, over 2,000 wins
  • Keisuke Suzuki (鈴木 恵介) - Since 1998 - over 2,000 wins
  • Yoshiyuki Hattori (服部 義幸) - Since 1985 - over 2, 000 wins
  • Former jockey active as trainer:

  • Akihiko Kanayama, "Mr. Ban'ei" (明彦 金山) - 1969-1999, 3,299 wins
  • Hisada Mamoru (久田守) - 1972-1996, 13964 starts, 2103 wins
  • Sakamoto Touichi (坂本東一) - 1975-2007, 21188 starts, 2678 wins
  • Chiba Hitoshi (千葉均) - 1979-2007, 20431 starts, 2106 wins
  • Nishi Hiromi (西弘美) - 1980-2009, 22939 starts, 2479 wins
  • Retired:

  • Iwamoto Toshiharu (岩本利春) - 1979-2005, 19263 starts, 2085 wins
  • Suzuki Shoutei (鈴木勝堤) - 1981-2010, 17850 starts, 2313 wins(Didn't obtain training license)
  • Kaoru Ogase (尾ヶ瀬 馨) - 1992-2016, 20687 starts, 2064 wins
  • Other:

  • Highest daily average: 1978 - 100,000,000 million yen
  • Most racedays per year: 1995 - 156 days
  • Highest sales since 2006: 2013 - 13.2 billion (Nicknamed "Silver Spoon effect")
  • Grade races

    All held in Obihiro, over 200 metres.

    Two-year-olds

    BG1BG2BG3

    Three-year-olds

    BG1BG2BG3

    Four-year-olds

    BG1BG2BG3

    Three and four-year-olds

    BG3

    Three-year-olds and up

    BG1BG2BG3

    Abolished races

    These were either high-stakes or graded races.

  • Shiragiku Sho (白菊賞) - Established: 1976 Abolished: 2002
  • Hokuren Sho (ホクレン賞) - Established: Before 1973 Abolished: 2007
  • Seiun Sho (青雲賞) - Established: 1980 Abolished: 1988
  • Tsutsuji Sho (つつじ賞) - Established: 1980 Abolished: 1988
  • Ban'ei Fuzuki Sho (ばんえい文月賞) - Established: 1976 Abolished: 1988
  • Ban'ei Princess Sho (ばんえいプリンセス賞) - Established: 1977 Abolished: 2009
  • Taisetsu Sho (大雪賞) - Established: 1977 Abolished: 1988
  • Souun Sho (層雲賞) - Established: 1975 Abolished: 1988
  • Asahi okansho (旭王冠賞) - Established: Before 1973 Abolished: 2006
  • Chiho keiba zenkoku kyokai kaicho Sho (地方競馬全国協会会長賞) - Established: 1974 Abolished: 1992
  • Zen koei kaicho Sho (全公営会長賞) - Established: 1973 Abolished: 1992
  • Asahi Silver Cup (旭シルバーカップ) - Established: Before 1973 Abolished: 1988
  • Obihiro Daishoten (帯広大賞典) - Established: 1980 Abolished: 1987
  • Onassis Kinen (オナシス記念) - Established: 1975 Abolished: 1985
  • Hotarunohika Sho (蛍の光賞) - Established:1980 Abolished:1988
  • All Stars Cup (オールスターカップ) - Established: 2000 Abolished: 2004
  • Pegasus Sho (ペガサス賞) - Established: ? Abolished: ?
  • Carnation Cup (カーネーションカップ ) - Established: 2008 Abolished: 2009
  • Valentines Cup (バレンタインカップ) - Established: 2009 Abolished: 2010
  • References

    Ban'ei Wikipedia