JRA Hidaka Training Farm: Something like Newmarket or Chantilly

Founded in 1907 as a stallion farm, the 1500-hectare Hidaka training farm (日高育成牧場) is something like ‘Japan’s Newmarket or Chantilly’. You can walk around the Blood-horse Training Area (軽種馬育成調教場) from the south gate information center (BTC南詰所), the main highlight is a 1000m-long indoor training course. A 1.5-hour free guided bus tour (from 10.30am; Wed of Jul-Oct & Fri of Jul-Sep) show you to the private facilities - along with horse riding experience (Jul-mid Aug).

About 400m west of the south gate is the Observation Tower (8am-4pm Apr-Oct; Free) with farm and mountain views. There is also a century-old Memorial Hall (10am-4pm Apr-Oct; Free), about 200m ahead of the tower near the main gate, exhibits on farm history.

The farm office is 7km north of Hidaka-Horobetsu Station (日高幌別駅), it is better to have a car. Yushun Village AERU offers free guided tour (late Apr-Oct) and pick you up from the train station (or Urakawa bus terminal) for guests.

Information

• FARM: Nishicha; Training Area 7am-1pm Mon-Sat
•  jra.jp/hidaka

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