Spring Festival highlights coexistence through horseback riding, cultural displays

KIRKUK — The Spring Festival for Coexistence was held at North Oil Stadium in Kirkuk, drawing a large crowd from the city and surrounding areas for a celebration of horseback riding, handmade crafts, traditional dances, and artwork representing the city’s diverse communities.

“We are working to send a message to all other Iraqi governorates through festivals like this that Kirkuk is a city of life, love, and coexistence,” Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha told 964media. “The youth of Kirkuk have abilities and talents that they express through such festivals.”

Taha noted that Kirkuk is embracing the spring season with a series of cultural events. “A week ago we held the Flower Festival, and today is the Horse Festival,” he said.

He emphasized horseback riding’s deep roots across Kirkuk’s communities. “Horse riding and horses have a special flavor in the history of all Kirkuk’s components: Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Christians, and Assyrians.”

Abdullah Mazhar, head of the Equestrian Club, said this was the second consecutive year the Equestrian Federation, alongside stables and clubs from Kirkuk and neighboring governorates, organized a horse festival.

“This year, the event was sponsored by the Governor of Kirkuk, and it highlights the diversity of horse breeding and the growth of equestrian sports in the region,” Mazhar said. He also called for greater investment in the sport, citing its historical importance across Iraq.

Ahmed Saif Al-Din, one of the attendees, said this year’s festival was noticeably different from previous editions. “Last year, the festival was mainly a horse show with several governorates participating, but this year expanded to include theatrical performances and saw a much larger public turnout,” he said.

“We thank the Kirkuk administration, in cooperation with the North Oil Company, for organizing the festival and allocating the stadium,” Saif Al-Din added.