Bukit Ambacang Racecourse

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Bukit Ambacang Racecourse
Gelanggang Bukit Ambacang
Galanggang Bukik Ambacang
Bukittinggi-Bukit Ambacang Racecourse aerial.jpg
Pacuan Bukik Ambacang.jpg
Bukit Ambacang Racecourse and surrounding cityscape 2025
Bukit Ambacang Racecourse in 2016
Bukit Ambacang Racecourse
Interactive map of Bukit Ambacang Racecourse
Gelanggang Bukit Ambacang
Galanggang Bukik Ambacang
Location Bukittinggi/Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Coordinates , 0°16′59″S100°21′53″E / 0.282936°S 100.364813°E / -0.282936; 100.364813
Owned by
Operated by
  • Pordasi (race)
  • Pokdarwis Ambacang Saiyo
Date opened1889
Race type Pacu races, Harness (draft bogie)
Course typeDirt [a]
Notable races
  • Kejurnas Series
  • Wisata Derby

Bukit Ambacang Racecourse (Indonesian:Gelanggang Pacuan Kuda Bukit Ambacang), sometimes Bukik Ambacang Racecourse (Minangkabau: Galanggang Pacu Kudo Bukik Ambacang), is a racecourse located on the border between Bukittinggi and Agam Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Opened in 1889, it is the oldest active racecourse in the country.

Contents

History

Organized horse racing in Fort de Kock was documented by 1889, when a racing club known as the Fort-de-Kocksche Wedloop Sociëteit was established. Not long after, a racecourse was opened, with competitive races scheduled by July of the same year. [1] [2] Following the racecourse's establishment, several horse racing venues had been established in other parts of West Sumatra, including Kubu Gadang in Payakumbuh (1906), Bukit Gombak in Batusangkar, and Bancah Laweh in Padang Panjang (1913). [3] This made West Sumatra the region with the most number of venues in Indonesia, the majority of which were constructed during colonial times.

Administratively, the track straddles the border between Bukittinggi and Agam Regency. The northern portion of the track lies within Gadut Nagari (also called Gaduik), Tilatang Kamang District, Agam Regency, while the southern part of the track is administratively located inside Kubu Gulai Bancah, Mandiangin Koto Selayan District, Bukittinggi.

Physical attributes

Bukit Ambacang Racecourse is a dirt oval track with a length of approximately 800 metres. [4] The racecourse includes facilities such as a mounting yard and spectator stands.

Several structures dating from the Dutch East Indies period survive to the present day. These include the rumah bulek (Minangkabau for “roundhouse”), which functioned as a VIP stand reserved for distinguished guests and board of stewards, and the rumah musik (“music house”), an area used by musical ensembles to entertain spectators. [5] A small monument denoting the 40th anniversary of the Fort-de-Kocksche Wedloop Sociëteit as well as the establishment years of other racecourses in West Sumatra is located within the infield of the track. [6]

The racecourse is situated on elevated terrain between the urban area of Bukittinggi and surrounding rural zones of Agam Regency. It also has a panoramic view of Mount Singgalang. [7]

Transportation

The racecourse is located by the West Trans-Sumatra Highway.

Cultural significance

Bukit Ambacang regularly hosts horse racing events at the regional and provincial level, including competitions associated with local celebrations and government/company-sponsored tournaments. These have included events like Open Race Bukittinggi and the annual signature Wisata Derby. [7] [8] Horse racing at the site is commonly associated with community festivals (alek nagari) and serves as a social gathering point for residents from Bukittinggi and neighboring localities. [9]

The racecourse has been cited as an inspiration for a chapter in Sengsara Membawa Nikmat (1929), a novel by Tulis Sutan Sati, which is set in Bukittinggi. [10] The racecourse was also used as a filming location for the 1991 television series adaptation, which was broadcast by TVRI. [11]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Early photographs appear to show a turf track, while the current track suggest change into a dirt surface during the late 20th century; however, no secondary source confirming the timing of this change has yet been identified.

References

  1. ↑ "Het Nut der Races en Een en Ander Over Paarden". De Sumatra post (in Dutch). No. 34. Padang (published March 21, 1889). 1889. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  2. ↑ "Advertentiën". De Sumatra post (in Dutch). No. 66. Padang (published June 4, 1889). 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  3. ↑ Almaizon; Refisrul (2009). Potensi Pacu Kudo Sebagai Objek Pariwisata di Nagari Vll Koto Talago, Kecamatan Guguk Kabupaten Lima Puluh Koto (PDF) (in Indonesian). Padang: BPSNT Padang Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-10-26.
  4. ↑ Tedy, Alex (2025-04-11). "Fauzan Haviz: Saatnya Bukik Ambacang Kembali Jadi Pusat Pacuan Kuda Nasional". Sumbar Time (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  5. ↑ SB, Iwin (2025-04-14). "Sejarah Lapangan Pacu Kuda Bukit Ambacang Tertua di Indonesia". Khazminang (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  6. ↑ Prima, Riki Arie. PORDASI dan Gairah Pacu Kuda di Sumatera Barat 1976-2006 (Ilmu Sejarah thesis) (in Indonesian). Universitas Andalas.
  7. 1 2 Fitra, Iggoy El (2024-07-14). "Aksi Para Joki dalam Pacuan Kuda Open Race Bukittinggi". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  8. ↑ ELSI FM (2024-07-14). "92 ekor kuda dengan 19 race, Pacu Kuda Wisata Derby Bukittinggi-Agam Tahun 2025". ELSI FM (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  9. ↑ Jr, Alex (2024-07-06). "Pacu Kuda, Pesta Alek Nagari Menyatukan Dua Wilayah Bukittinggi dan Agam". Menara Info (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  10. ↑ Setiawan, Irwan (2024-10-25). "Gelanggang Pacuan Kuda Bukit Ambacang, Gelanggang Pacuan Kuda Tertua di Indonesia". Netral News (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  11. ↑ Wijoyono, Agus (director); Sani, Asrul (writer) (2018-12-12) [1991]. Sengsara Membawa Nikmat, episode03. TVRI Nasional. Event occurs at 12:56.
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