Palestinian jockeys compete in horse race near Hebron – in pictures

Increasing scarcity of open land in West Bank threatens horse culture – a rare form of recreation for Palestinians

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  Palestinian jockeys race in Al Majd, west of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. All photos: AFP

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  Jockeys make their final preparations at the starting gate

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  Children celebrate after a race, near Hebron

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  Open land for races is increasingly scare in the West Bank, amid Israel's expansion of illegal settlements

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  A boy holds a trophy won by his family's horse

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  Horse culture is as one of the rare forms of recreation for Palestinians in the West Bank

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  A jockey celebrates after winning a race

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  Palestinians from urban areas and rural villages gather to watch the races

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  Despite limited land, breeders raise Arabian horses in small urban spaces and makeshift stables

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  Breeding horses helps tie Palestinian communities to their ancestral roots