Gonbad-e Qabus Horse Riding Fieldis one of the tourist attractions of Gonbad-e Qabus. These competitions are held in two seasons of the year, namely spring and autumn, every week on Thursdays and Fridays, with the presence of Gonbad-e Qabus enthusiasts and tourists from other parts of the world. These Horse Riding Fields are often held with an attendance of between 3,000 and 7,000 spectators, although on Fridays and in the spring, when better courses are held, between 5,000 and 6,000 people go to the Gonbad equestrian complex to watch the competitions. Gonbad-e Qabus Horse Riding Field competitions are held in Gonbad-e Qabus Equestrian Complex, which is located in the northeast of the city. This equestrian complex was established in 1961 with the aim of holding horse riding competitions and the production and breeding of Turkmen horses. After the Islamic Revolution, the equestrian complex of Gonbad was handed over to the training organization. The length of the field is 1400 meters, which is oval. To participate in the equestrian course, it is necessary for the horses to have an Iranian identity card and a certificate of participation in competitions, and the age of the horse should not be less than 18 months.
Because the Turkmen horse breed in the area is one of the best horse breeds, the people of Gonbad and the Bandar Torkaman have long had a friendship with horseback riding. Holding a horse race as a special ceremony during celebrations, especially in wedding ceremonies, has long been appreciated by the people of Gonbad-e Qabus. This sports competition was known in Turkmen as "Ilo". Seeing the great interest of the people of this region in horseback riding, in 1971 and during the Pahlavi era, the Shah of Iran ordered the construction of the Gonbad Equestrian Complex. From then on, the course competitions are held in autumn and spring. Although the official holding of equestrian course competitions in Gonbad-e Qabus has a history of more than three decades, but the semi-professional and amateur courses of holding these competitions has started since 2001 with the establishment of the Turkmen Golden Horseshoe CHF in Golestan Province. The establishment of this company has helped a lot organize Gonbad-e Qabus equestrian competitions.
At present, about eighty to ninety horses participate in the competitions every week, and each horse has the power and permission to participate in one round of the competition each week. Horses are divided each week based on their breed, age, and previous performance. There is a technical committee that oversees this. The special excitement of the people and their restless encouragement, accompanied by the warm voice of the narrator, give a special color and smell to the equestrian course. This can probably be found in less sports competitions. From the moment the horses are released from Depar, the stadium announcer shouts as much as he can and then reports the competition. The spectators, who are overwhelmed by the stress of their existence at this moment, are not even able to sit on a chair. This is a general trend in equestrian courses that takes place between seven or eight rounds of competition, each about half an hour apart.
With all this, if the thrill of equestrianism is also attractive to you, go to Gonbad-e Qabus in spring and autumn and enjoy watching this exciting sport and race. When traveling to Gonbad and seeing this fascinating match, plan to visit Qabus Dome Tower, Golestan Dam and Almagol Wetland, along with the Shrine of Khalid Nabi.
To go to Gonbad-e Qabus, you can go from Tehran to the northeast, through cities of Damavand, Ghaemshahr, Firoozkooh, Gorgan and Aliabad Katoul. This path is very green and beautiful. There is another route from Tehran to Gonbad-e Qabus that passes through Varamin, Damghan and Shahroud and there are fewer cities in between. To travel by bus, from Tehran, you can travel to Gonbad-e Qabus every day from the beginning of Beyhaqi terminal in the east of Tehran. Gonbad-e Qabus does not have an airport and if you choose to travel by air, you should use Gorgan Airport and then get to Gonbad-e Qabus by bus or taxi. The city does not have a train station, too, and you have to travel to Gorgan by train to reach Gonbad-e Qabus.