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Draft-horse racing in danger of dying out in Japan

Draft horses compete at the Obihiro race track in Obihiro, Japan, on Dec. 17. PHOTO: NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE

It was one of the last contests of the day at the draft-horse racetrack in this rural corner of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island.

The spotlights glimmered in the snow-streaked evening sky as the gamblers, who had been inside huddling around portable kerosene heaters, took their spots alongside the track. The gates opened, and 10 huge draft horses, each weighing about a tonne and pulling an iron sled just as heavy, rumbled forward as the jockeys urged them on with cries and whips.

After easily clearing the first mound, No. 10 took the lead and waited for the others to catch up before trying the second, higher mound. Reinvigorated by the rest, No.10 burst up the mound.

"Climb up! Climb over!" a jockey shouted, as the other horses struggled in the cold air, snorting white breath, one with forelegs buckling.

No.10 was the first over but was soon challenged by No. 7 a few lanes over. In the final stretch, as the jockeys whipped them in a frenzy of motion, No. 7 crossed the finish line first.

"By the time you reach the finish line, your horse is just about ready to collapse," said Toichi Sakamoto, 53, a jockey. "When it's really tired, it'll suddenly drop its head, just once, before raising it back. This requires an incredible amount of strength."

In Japan, draft-horse racing is peculiar to Hokkaido, the last of the country's four main islands to be developed.

The first Japanese migrated to this cold, rugged island that was thinly populated by indigenous peoples in the late 19th century, as the nation took tentative steps to expand from its original islands. Workhorses played a crucial role in building up Hokkaido, where Japanese come closest to having an American frontier spirit and still count the generations since their ancestors settled here.

Draft-horse racing grew out of this settler culture and, after tractors became common three decades ago, remained in place to celebrate it. It was also good business, especially during the peak of Japan's economy in the 1980s, when four racetracks in this region drew in huge gambling revenues.

But the sport's popularity has declined over the years, and after incurring almost US$34 million in debt, the four municipalities in charge of the racetracks announced in the fall that they would close them. The future looked bleak: Jobs would be lost; a vital piece of Hokkaido's culture would vanish; the horses would be sold off for their meat.

Succor came from an unlikely source. A Tokyo company, the giant Internet and cellphone provider Softbank, announced this month that it would take over the business here in Obihiro, though the other three racetracks are still to close.
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