Mustafa Süleyman from Zagoriche village near Shumen in Northeastern Bulgaria has been a farmer for many years, working 800 hectares of land. He grows mostly wheat, barley, maize, sunflower, alfalfa and oats, and keeps around 1,000 sheep and 500 cows. But there is a special place on his farm for his 8 racehorses.

It all began in 2013 when a friend offered him a racehorse – Heracles. The horse went on to win 16 races in just one year. Heracles was followed by more horses with intriguing names – Agitatsia, Argona, Pressian, Anhila, Shargo, Polgonia, Panhila, all of them English thoroughbreds. His horses have taken part in many races in different Bulgarian villages, but also in towns – Isperih and Beloslav, as well as at national horse races in Balchik, organized by the Bulgarian National Association for Horseracing, where they have been winning first prizes. Mustafa is particularly proud of the mare Panhila:

“Other farmers who keep horses prefer to buy animals selected in Germany, France or Britain, but I opted to buy a horse bred in Bulgaria. People may say Bulgarian horses are not competitive but Panhila has proved capable of winning and beating pure-breds raised abroad,” Mustafa says.

The owner is pinning great hopes on his new mare Panhila. For the first time he will have one of his horses racing abroad. International horse races will be held in Prejmer in Romania in March, and that is the next challenge for Mustafa Süleyman, but also for 17-year old Cem and 20-year old İsmail who tend to, train and even ride the elite horses. After a protracted search, Mustafa chose to put his trust in the two young men, and he says they carry the love of horses in their hearts. “I say we should trust and rely on the young, that is the way to keep them from leaving Bulgaria. My boys spend all of their time around the horses. They live with their victories, and I can say the trust is mutual. As to the race in Romania, it is our shared dream to show that Bulgarian horses can run and they can win.”

As to what is on the menu of an elite horse, Mustafa says:

“Horses must have special food – apples, carrots, beetroot, honey, raisins and special granules that come from Europe, and in summer we give them the barley and oats we have grown. That is the diet that keeps them healthy and fit, not overnourished.”

Mustafa Süleyman inherited his love of horses from his forefathers and he admits it was his childhood dream – to one day have a horse of his own. His son Süleyman is now continuing the tradition and is involved in caring for the elite horses.

The farmer from the small village of Zagoriche provides jobs to 35 families. He says that he relies on them, and that without them all this would be impossible, that is why he is doing his best to keep them from emigrating.

“Despite the quirks of the weather, for us 2018 has been a bountiful year. We had a good maize crop, though the sunflower did not fare all that well. We have animal feed for the winter,” says Mustafa Süleyman, and adds that 2019 will be a year of high hopes of victory.

English version: Milena Daynova