Horce Ridding of Doxato

With particular success and crowds of people, the custom of Horse Races is held every year in Doxato of Drama and during the three days of May Day.
As most people already know, the Doxato Horce Races are an ancient custom, with roots that go back centuries. From the Thracian horseman, in the years of the Macedonians, in the footsteps of Alexander and Bucephalas, in the Hellenistic years, the Roman years and later in the Byzantine and modern years. Horses galloped proudly on Egnatia Street not only for military operations, but also sages, philosophers, evangelists and merchants. Pausanias even mentions about the new Lambos the Philippisius who won a horse race at the Olympic Games and was originally from the area.
During the period of the Turkish rule, the Horse Races took the form of competition between Greeks and Turks, while they gave the Greek girls the opportunity to demonstrate their riding skills as well as their technique and skill in "commanding" the horses.
Later, in the era of the Macedonian struggle, the horse races of Doxatos were the best pretext for the meeting of the chieftains from the wider region of Eastern Macedonia, with the aim of coordinating their action in the struggle for liberation after the long slavery.