Nikitas wrote:Natty,
Nice to hear your grandfather remembers those days! I remember seeing young men on horseback, training their horses in the fields between Limnia and Ayios Sergios, sometime in the early 60s. It was amazing to see these lads get the most out of the horses with the minimum of equipment, often with nothing more than a potato sack as a saddle and rope halters instead of proper headgear.
I know they had race horses there and also learned that races in Cyprus were divided into classes, one for imported thoroughbreds and one for locally bred animals they called "Arabian". It seems that Limnia and Ayios Sergios were famous for the local breed. Eventually someone will turn up with some old photos from those days.
Hi Nikitas, it was actually my father who remembers the horses; he spent most of his childhood in Cyprus. I'll be honest and say that I had no idea that Limnia was famous for its horse breeding, so it's been really interesting learning all about it. And who knows, I may have had a relative who was in the horse breeding business, I'll have to ask my Grandmother the next time I see her. Wow those horse trainers must have been highly skilled, I suppose it goes to show that people make do when they are without. Again, I didn't know that there was horseracing in Cyprus (slightly naive of me I know..
), although I wonder why they called the local breed 'Arabian'. Anyway, as you say I'm sure someone will have some old photographs somewhere, I know I'd definitely be interested in seeing them
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It seems that Limnia and Ayios Sergios were famous for the local breed
Must have been the cornflakes..