- October 21st, 2014
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[Obihiro Banei Horse Racing] Only Horse Racing Style in World
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Obihiro Banei Horse Racing
Obihiro Banei Horse Racing (帯広ばんえい競馬) is the only horse racing style in the world. Horses with a sled rival each other in power and speed. The horses have a good battle in Obihiro Horse Race Track located in the center of Obihiro city. The horse racing is often held in Saturday, Sunday and Monday through the year except April, and opening hours is different depending on seasons, and a night horse racing (ナイター開催), a twilight horse racing (薄暮開催), a daytime horse racing (デイ開催) are held. Illumination can be enjoyed in the night horse racing. The top grade horse racing is Banei Memorial (ばんえい記念) at the end of the fiscal year, and the last big horse racing is like Arima Memorial (有馬記念) of Japan Racing Association. Admission is JPY 100. A parking lot is free of charge.
Movie of Banei Memorial
While about 1 ton-weight of plodding workhorses pull sleds with 460 - 1,000 kg weight competingly, they will aim for victory to climb over 2 slopes along 200 m in total length. A state that huge horses like Kokuo (黒王号), a famous horse appears in popular Manga Hokuto-no-Ken (北斗の拳), gallop is really powerful. For winning the first place, Strategic pacing themselves is necessary for jockeys to work best with the horses. They will get completely exhausted on the slopes if they run at galloping speed at the beginning, but they can not catch up with other horses if they keep their power too much. The getting in sync with each other is a good time to show off jockey's skills.
Backyard Tour (バックヤードツアー) and Morning Training Tour (朝調教ツアー) are held, and the back side of the horse racing can be enjoyed as well as the horse racing, too.
Movie of Guided Backyard Tour
Movie of Guided Morning Training Tour
A highway bus "Potato Liner (ポテトライナー)" runs between the Obihiro and the Sapporo, and a express bus "North Liner-go (ノースライナー号)" runs between the Obihiro and Asahikawa. Besides, Rent-a-car can be rented around Obihiro Station and Obihiro Airport.
OBIHIRO
Obihiro (帯広) that about 170,000 people live is the 6th largest commercial city in Hokkaido, and is one of regional hub cities of the Eastern Hokkaido area. It has flourished as the center of the Tokachi district. The Obihiro is also a stockyard for agricultural products in whole Tokachi district, and Potato, Beet, Wheat and Chinese Yam are famous as a local product. As for a climate, it is hot that temperature rises to nearly 30 degrees in a summer, and it is cold that temperature falls to nearly -20 degrees in a winter. It has a large temperature gap, but it has less snow relatively in the Hokkaido. Therefore skating is popular in the winter. Mr. Hiroyasu Shimizu, an olympic gold medalist, come from the Obihiro, and there is much competition population of the skating. Read More
Look of Obihiro Horse Race Track
Obihiro Horse Race Track holds a maximum of 14,000 people, and was built in 1932. It looks old, and the race track is viewed on a stand. There are a racecourse, a paddock, the stand, a small zoo, Horse Museum (馬の資料館) and Tokachimura Farm Fresh Market (とかちむら) at the site, and dihses and drinks such as curry ramen, pork rice bowl, roasted pork are sold at the stand, too.
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The Obihiro Banei Horse Racing is a gamble to pick a winning horse, and it is good to enjoy the gamble. It is good to enjoy the powerful racing without buying the betting ticket. Unlike other horse racing compete in the speed in all parts of the world, the race is very slow. It is interesting that audiences can support the horses with the jockeys while their moving according to the proceeding race.
Atmosphere of Obihiro Banei Horse Racing Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Obihiro Banei Horse Racing
| Admission fee | Adult: JPY 100. Children under 15 years old: Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Free parking is provided (1100 Cars) |
| Business hours | Almost summer season 13:00-21:00 Almost winter season 12:00-19:00 * Please check the running time for details. |
| Regular closing day | Almost Thursday, Friday, Wednesday, Tuesday * Please check the racing date for details. |
| Telephone number | +81-155-34-0825 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 124 622 219*76 |
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Obihiro. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
A page of Obihiro is here
Obihiro
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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Hi, Sai san,
Probably from 7 October to 8 October.
http://kachimai.jp/article/index.php?no=390399
When is this year’s (2017) とかちばん馬まつり?
Hi Shirl san,
Welcome to Hokkaido!
Maybe Banei-horse racing is held on weekends from July to Aug because it was held in 2016.
http://www.banei-keiba.or.jp/race-event/h28kaisai.pdf
Blue boxes are racing days.
Hi there. I am planning for next summer trip to Hokkaido. I would like to know if Banei-horse racing in Obihiro usually on Sat / Sun in July-Aug? Thanks!
Hi, Fiona Henry san.
Thank you for your comment and welcome to Hokkaido.
The races will be held in 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 February(2月).
http://www.banei-keiba.or.jp/race-event/h28kaisai.pdf
Have a nice trip!
Would it be feasible to see a race in February 2017. We would be travelling around Hokkaido by train. We only speak English.
Hi Nadja,
Welcome to Hokkaido!
Thanks for praising my article.
As for the racing calendar, racing schedules in July, 2016 are as follows.
http://www.banei-keiba.or.jp/race-event/race-event1607.html
The racing schedules in August, 2016 are as follows.
http://www.banei-keiba.or.jp/race-event/race-event1608.html
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from left.
Green squares are days (July 31, July 30 and August 1) at the races.
開門13:00 is opening gate at 13:00 pm.
第1R14:40 is starting the first race at 14:40 pm.
第11R20:45 is starting the 11th race (final race) at 20:45 pm.
Have fun!
Thank you for the great article!
I am a huge horse fan and a rider for all of my life now. Since I am coming to Hokkaido soon, I would like to know: When exactly (date and time) are Banei races in Obihiro between 27.07. and 02.08.? It would be a real pleasure to visit one of these races and I don’t want to miss this opportunity.
Thank you very much for your help!
Cheers,
Nadja
You are welcome.
Except Obihiro Banei Race Track, Hokkaido has 3 race tracks, Sapporo Race Track, Hakodate Race Track, Monbetsu Race Track that thoroughbred horses run. Obihiro Banei Race Track is an only race track that imported percheron horses run in Hokkaido and the world. Those horses do not seem to be Dosanko.
I see, so it really different with the ordinary horse racing in other countries. But somehow looks fun. Like surfing with your horse!
I’ve seen like this in Youtube before (I forget the video link), but race held in winter with thick snow. The cart also smaller than this. So is there any other horse racing in Hokkaido, beside Obihiro?
Anyway, in Twitter above (account chanlee) said Banei is breed horse native to Japan. So does it mean the horses are dosanko or imported?
Thanks for sharing a great article!
“It’s not just about the destination, but the journey”