“一足冲天”“马背倒立”“千米竞速”……7月5日，阿坝州红原县赛马场热闹非凡，为期3天的阿坝州第十六届运动会马上项目比赛在这里拉开帷幕。

On July 5th, the horse racing event of 16th Aba Prefecture Sports Games commenced with great excitement at the racecourse in Hongyuan County, Aba Prefecture. The event will last for three days.

红原县位于四川省西北部、阿坝州中部，以辽阔优美的湿地草原风光而闻名。七月盛夏，花海红原，这是草原上一年中最美最热闹的时候。当天上午9点30分，伴随着阵阵马蹄声，参加马上项目比赛的运动员们骑马入场，在庄严的升旗仪式后，一曲曲优美动听的藏族山歌在红原大草原随风飘荡，一支支欢快原生态的民族舞蹈表演展示着阿坝州浓郁的民族风情。

Hongyuan County, located in the northwest of Sichuan Province and the central part of Aba Prefecture, is renowned for its vast and beautiful wetland grasslands. In the peak of summer, the Hongyuan Flower Sea blooms, making it the liveliest and most stunning time on the grasslands. At 9:30 am that day, accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves, the athletes participating in the horse racing events entered the arena on horseback. Following a solemn flag-raising ceremony, melodious Tibetan folk songs filled the air, drifting across the vast grasslands of Hongyuan. Lively ethnic dances showcased the rich cultural heritage of Aba Prefecture.

开幕式后，率先举行1000米速度赛马预赛。随着开赛信号的发出，早已蓄势待发的骏马绝尘而去，奋力驰骋在赛道上。观众的目光紧紧聚焦奔驰的赛马，马背上的速度与激情在高原上演，现场观众掌声、呐喊声不断。

After the opening ceremony, the preliminary round of the 1000-meter horse speed race took place. As the starting signal sounded, the powerful horses burst forward, racing with all their might on the track. The spectators' attention was fixed on the galloping horses, witnessing the speed and passion displayed on the plateau. Applause and cheers filled the venue.

据了解，本次马上项目比赛为期3天，共设置1000米、2000米、3000米、5000米、10000米速度赛马和1000米、2000米走马赛以及跑马射击、跑马射箭、跑马拾哈达等项目，共有来自阿坝县、若尔盖县、壤塘县、红原县4个代表队的98名运动员、123匹马参赛，参赛规模创历届之最。

The horseracing events of this competition will last for three days, featuring various races such as the 1000-meter, 2000-meter, 3000-meter, 5000-meter, and 10000-meter speed races, as well as the 1000-meter and 2000-meter equestrian races, horseback shooting, horseback archery, and horseback Hada-picking. A total of 98 athletes from four representative teams (Aba County, Ruo'ergai County, Rangtang County, and Hongyuan County) and 123 horses participated, making it the largest-scale competition in the history of the event.

“马上项目运动在阿坝州深受当地农牧民群众的喜爱，是草原马背文化的重要组成部分，也是最能展示阿坝州少数民族体育健儿雄健体魄、豪爽气概和人马合一的传统民族体育运动。”阿坝州文体旅局相关负责人介绍，近年来，阿坝州在全国、全省少数民族运动会中屡获佳绩，在全省打响了阿坝州民族体育运动的品牌。本次马上项目比赛将尽情展现阿坝州儿女独特的精神风貌，把阿坝州人民勇于挑战、敢于争先的豪迈气概呈现出来。

"Horse racing is an important part of the grassland horseback culture and the traditional ethnic sports that best showcase the robust physique, heroic spirit, and harmonious unity of the ethnic athletes in Aba Prefecture," explained a representative from the Aba Prefecture Bureau of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. This horse racing event will fully demonstrate the unique spirit and demeanor of the people of Aba Prefecture, showcasing their daring and competitive spirit.

据介绍，本届马上项目比赛将持续至7月7日闭幕。马上项目比赛结束后，阿坝州第十六届运动会主赛场活动将在马尔康市举行。

The horse racing events of this edition will continue until July 7th when the closing ceremony of the 16th Aba Prefecture Sports Games will be held in Barkam City.