"We have been organizing tours for both national and foreign tourists coming to Kars via the Eastern Express for the last two years. So, we want to bring the game of mounted javelin to an even better state and we're getting good results. We take good care of our horses. We wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning to groom them, water them and feed them. Around 9-10 a.m. we gather in the field to play. Mounted javelin throwing over snow is even more beautiful; it's a bit harder but we're used to it so it's no trouble for us." Başkaya said in a statement.
İzzet Gedik, reminding readers that they take great care of the horses used in mounted javelin games, said, "We feed our horses barley, groom them and after that bring them to the field for a game. We want to keep our ancestral sport alive and bring it to an even better state. We teach this sport to our children. Tourists show a lot of interest, we'd like to see more support."
Emphasizing that mounted javelin competitions are very exciting and fun, amateur photographer Birkan Çelik said, "Mounted javelin throwing is a tradition, and one of its most beautiful aspects is that when you capture an opponent and forgive them you get four points. It's incredibly beautiful that the combat game of the past has turned into a game of peace. And it's great fun that this tradition is being kept alive as a game. The excitement of the horses and people is great to watch. The competitions hold among themselves here feel natural, friendly and are thus incredibly beautiful. I hope this tradition lives on so that future generations too can experience it."
