Ethiopia's Awi community proudly celebrates the 86th Agew Horse Festival

Ethiopia's Awi community proudly celebrates the 86th Agew Horse Festival

The Awi are an ethnic group in Ethiopia belonging to the Agew Awi peoples. They primarily live in the Agew Awi Zone west of Mirab Gojjam in the Amhara Region, as well as in smaller communities in the Metekel Zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. The Awi are divided into seven subgroups: Ankäša, Azäna, Chara, Qʷaqura, Banʤa, Zigän, and Mätäkal. According to the 2007 census, the Awi population is approximately 631,565, representing about 0.85% of Ethiopia's total population; around 63,415 live in urban areas. The Awi Zone had a population of approximately 990,000 in 2005, with Amhara people forming the majority. The Agew Equestrian Festival, also known as the Agew Riding Festival or Agew Equestrian Sports Festival, is a vibrant, annual cultural event of the Agew (Agaw) people in the Awi Zone of the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, primarily in the city of Injibara. The festival features spectacular equestrian displays. Riders adorn their horses with colorful decorations and stage parades, competitions, and shows that commemorate historical resistance, such as against the Italian invaders. Promoting unity, conflict resolution, and cultural pride, the festival attracts thousands of participants and spectators. Horses hold great symbolic value in Agew society. The association boasts over 40,000 riders, and the event boosts local tourism. The 86th Agew Equestrian Festival in Injibara, the capital of the Awi Zone in the Amhara Region, was a resounding success. Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh was also in attendance, according to local media reports. This popular annual festival honors the brave patriots of the Awi people and the central role of horses in daily life, warfare, agriculture, and cultural heritage. Riders of all ages (adults, youths, women, and children) delighted the audience at the Injibara multi-purpose stadium with skillful, graceful, and traditional equestrian displays. A creative exhibition entitled "From Mofer to Tractor" illustrated the evolution of Ethiopian agriculture—from traditional wooden plows (mofer) pulled by oxen or horses to modern tractors and agricultural machinery. Exquisite traditional Agew horses were presented as heartfelt gifts to distinguished guests: Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, the President of the Awi Zone, and the Prime Minister's Advisor, Abiy Ahmed.