Turkmenistan horse sets world record

Ak Khan is the presidential steed

Ak Khan the horse at a circus arena in Ashgabat.

Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s favourite horse gave his owner the perfect birthday on Friday by breaking the world record for an equine dash on hind legs.

Ak Khan (White Khan) set the new record at Turkmenistan’s state circus, by rearing up and covering 10 metres without landing on its front legs.

Guinness adjudicator Seyda Subasi Gemici told spectators that Ak Khan had beaten the previous record of 9.2 seconds set by a horse in Dubai.

Guinness was not immediately able to confirm the new time, but a state media representative claimed that the horse had achieved the feat in five seconds while another horse from the government’s stables had completed the same task in seven seconds.

When the record was announced, the crowd broke into cries of “Glory to the Protector”, the local moniker given to Mr. Berdymukhamedov.  

Horse-mad strongman

Mr. Berdymukhamedov, who turned 61 on Friday, is a horse-mad strongman who has even written a book about the Akhal-Teke breed to which presidential steed Ak Khan belongs.