A horse fair is a (typically annual) fair where people buy and sell horses.
In the United Kingdom there are many fairs which are traditionally attended by Romani people and travellers who converge at the fairs to buy and sell horses, meet with friends and relations and to celebrate their music, history and folklore.
Many horse fairs are centuries old, dating back to the 16th century, such as the Appleby Horse Fair and The Great October Fair at Ballinasloe.[1][2]
AMRITSAR'S cattle and horse mandi during Diwali is famous in north India. The horse market started at the time of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), who ordered his followers to come with good quality horses and weapons to counter Mughals.
Diwali is also special for the Sikhs as Guru Hargobind came back from prison of Mughal emperor Jahangir. Initially, it was only the horse market, later milch animals were also added. A similar horse and cattle fair is also organised during Baisakhi.
Initially, the fair was organised near Chawwani Nihangan. The British organised the fair and started collecting fee. The Civil and Military Gadget 1898 mentions about the fair committee. A particular area was designated for the cattle fair known as Mall Mandi on GT Road. Later, it was shifted to Vallah village on the outskirts of the city.
The Department of Rural Development and Panchayat organises the fair during Diwali. The department collects an entry fee and 4 per cent commission on the sale of every animal. The department provides makeshift arrangements, including tents, water and toilets.
Most of the cattle traders have been working in the same trade from generations. They work in coordination with their counterparts in Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir. Generally, they travel to others states to purchase quality animals to be showcased during the fair. Traders use signs and language to communicate with each other and a buyer cannot even understand them. Nowadays, a trader invests somewhere between Rs50 lakh and Rs1 crore for the event.
Most buffaloes are of mix breed. Murrah buffalo of Haryana is always in high demand. The ‘Nili’ breed of buffalo is quite rare. Buffaloes sell anywhere between Rs1.25 lakh and Rs2.50 lakh in the market. HF and Jersey variety of cows also attract good price.
Most of the buyers come from Majha who purchase cattle for domestic use. Traders from Jammu & Kashmir opt for good breed buffalos and cows.
Animal Fair is a traditional folk song and children's song. It was sung by minstrels and sailors as early as 1898.[1] The song was referred to in Life magazine in 1941 as a cadence of soft shoe tap dancing.[2]
I went to the Animal Fair
The birds and the beasts were there
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his auburn hair
You should have seen the monk
He sat on the elephant's trunk
The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees
And that was the end of the monk
The monk, the monk, the monk.
Said a flea to a fly in a flue
Said the flea "Oh what shall we do?"
Said the fly, "Let us flee!"; said the flea, "Let us fly!"
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
The Pushkar Fair, also called the Pushkar Camel Fair or locally as Kartik Mela or Pushkar ka Mela is an annual multi-day livestock fair and cultural fête held in the town of Pushkar near Ajmer city in Ajmer district in (Rajasthan, India). The fair starts with the Hindu calendar month of Kartik and ends on the Kartik Purnima, which typically overlaps with late October and early November in the Gregorian calendar.[1][2] In 1998, over 1 million visitors came to Pushkar throughout the year.[2] The Pushkar fair alone attracts over 200,000 visitors.[1]
The Pushkar Fair (Pushkar Camel Fair) or Pushkar Mela, as it is locally known as, is an annual five day camel and livestock fair held in the town of Pushkar between the months of October and November. It is one of the world's largest cattle fairs. Apart from the buying and selling of livestock, it has become an important tourist attraction. Competitions such as the ‘matka phod’, ‘longest moustache’ and ‘bridal competition’ are the main draws for this fair which attracts thousands of tourists. In recent years, the fair has also included an exhibition football match between the local Pushkar Club and a team of foreign tourists.
List of important horse fairs in the United Kingdom
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Appleby Horse Fair, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
Ballyclare May Fair, Ballyclare, County Antrim
Barnet Fair, Barnet, London
Brigg Fair, Brigg, Lincolnshire
Dartmoor Drift, Dartmoor, Devon
Horncastle Horse Fair, Lincolnshire
Lee Gap, Yorkshire
Stow Fair, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire
Wickham Horse Fair, Wickham, Hampshire
Widecombe Fair, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devo
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