Traditional gayo horse racing
Gayo Traditional Horse Racing is one of the unique sports, the difference that makes the traditional gayo horse race is the absence of saddles and safety in use by the jockey who also average aged between 12 s / d 15 years, horse race tradition can not be separated from the Gayo culture, and the only traditional art that can collect tens of thousands of periods coming from all corners of Gayo, but unfortunately this racetrack began to be contaminated by other horse racing culture impressed imposed like the presence of Australian horses and horses mulat horses worried at the horse race which is in Gayo that we know before will change to the original.
Gayo people have organized traditional Gayo horses long before the Dutch invaders entered Tanoh Gayo and RI independence.
In the past, the Gayo community organized horse races to welcome or celebrate the common rice harvest between August and September.
It is said that the activity was first performed on the edge of Lake Laut Tawar in the area of Pante Menye, Bintang District, Central Aceh. They do horse races without having special facilities, such as jockeys, horses, and race tracks.
When the Dutch colonizers entered Tanoh Gayo in the early 1900s, the activity was made more modern. The invaders organized horse races to welcome or celebrate Queen Wilhelmina's Anniversary between August and September. The activity was moved from the edge of Lake Laut Tawar to the racetrack in the center of Takengon
