Sports played in Nigeria
Horse Racing in Nigeria
Racing in Kaduna, riding in Lagos and Abuja, polo in Abraka: Nigeria’s love of the horse.
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Horse racing in Nigeria
One of the oldest sports
Horse racing and horse riding (equestrianism) together cover the skill of riding, driving, steeplechasing and vaulting with horses. Horse riding is one of the oldest sports in Nigeria and globally, and its central concept has gone through virtually no change over the centuries.
Horses are trained and ridden for the use of practical or work purposes. Horse riding can be used for competitive sports, including endurance, dressage, show jumping, horse racing, polo and tent pegging.
Horse racing has always been exciting in Nigeria, Africa, and everywhere. Horse racing developed from a pastime of the leisured class into a large public entertainment business.
Nigeria has yet to participate in horse racing/riding sports fully. However, it is mainly practiced locally as the sport is yet to be promoted just like every other popular sport in Nigeria. Horse riding centers and clubs are found in most places in Nigeria; some provide a unique environment for horse riding and fun activities.
Some of them include the following; Ikeja Saddle Club located in Lagos, Parkland Resort Club situated in Abuja, and the Saddle club located in Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt polo club located in Port Harcourt, Abuja Horse and Country Club. Horse riding is a very loveable sport full of fun; riders in horse races are called jockeys, while riders in other disciplines are known as equestrians.
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Benefits of horse riding
Horse racing is a competitive and non-competitive sport which has lots of benefits, not least as a form of exercise;
- Horse riding is an exercise that is being done in a natural environment; it enables one to enjoy the nature and the ride.
- Horse riding is a perfect exercise that helps one to stay healthy and fit.
- Regular riding of the horse helps to improve good posture; which is very essential for the health.
- Horse riding involves the use of many types of muscle like pelvic, core, and inner thighs; so horse riding can help to improve the flexibility of the muscles.
- It also provides a very active avenue for exercising the human brain.
- Horses racing/riding can help in improving human health and emotional development.
Statistics · Checked 29 September 2026
Nigerian horse racing in numbers
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1859
Lagos Race Course land
Granted by Oba Dosunmu
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1953
Racing in Kaduna
Introduced by the Sardauna
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1960
Independence at the Race Course
Now Tafawa Balewa Square
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1972
TBS built on the track
End of Lagos racing
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2019
HRFN founded
Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria
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2,000 m
Kaduna derby distance
10 furlongs, 2025
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4
Nations in 2025
Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Burkina Faso
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40 to 160 km
Endurance rides
National endurance championship
Quick answers
Horse racing in Nigeria: facts and figures
Is there horse racing in Nigeria?
Yes. Racing is organised by the Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria (HRFN), founded in 2019, with traditional race courses in the north. Its Sahel Savannah Series ends each season in Kaduna, where racing was brought in 1953 by the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
What happened to the Lagos Race Course?
Lagos had a race course on land granted by Oba Dosunmu in 1859. It hosted racing, parades and Nigeria’s independence ceremony on 1 October 1960; the track was demolished and Tafawa Balewa Square was built on the site in 1972.
Where can I ride horses in Nigeria?
Clubs include the Ikeja Saddle Club in Lagos, the Abuja Horse and Country Club, Parkland Resort Club in Abuja, the Port Harcourt Saddle Club and Polo Club, and the Abraka Turf and Country Club in Delta State.
Who runs equestrian sport in Nigeria?
The Nigeria Equestrian Federation runs show jumping, dressage, eventing and endurance championships, school tournaments and a national talent search, while the Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria runs racing.