Hundreds of spectators braved sub-zero temperatures in the remote Finnish town of Salla this past weekend to witness the Salla Reindeer Cup, a traditional racing event that has thrilled audiences for decades.
Approximately 1,000 spectators gathered for the competition, held in the frigid conditions of Salla, a town situated near the Russian border, some 264 kilometres (164 miles) northeast of Oulu.
Cheers erupted as reindeer galloped across the snow-covered track, each pulling a handler on skis in a thrilling dash for victory.
The event drew an international crowd, with attendees travelling from Finland, Italy, Norway, Germany, and France, among other nations.
Reindeer husbandry holds significant cultural importance across Scandinavia, particularly for the Indigenous Sami people in the far north, a tradition spanning many decades.
“Salla has a long history in reindeer racing — it’s been going on here since the 1950s," said Lasse Aatsinki, the head of Salla Reindeer Cup. "Back then, men spent winters in the forest, there were no snowmobiles. In late winter, the reindeer were in great shape, so they started racing them.”
These days, reindeer racing is an organised and regulated competition with trained male reindeer.
The premiere event was the so-called hot series, in which reindeer qualify if they race the kilometer-long (just over a half-mile) track in 1 minute, 19 seconds, or less. Only the fastest reindeer get to compete in this race.
“It’s a science. A lot depends on the reindeer’s character — it has to tolerate a lot: the audience, other reindeer, noise, movement," Aatsinki said. "Everyone has their tricks — and they’re usually kept under the fur hat. Every owner has their own way.”
During the race, crowds cheered their favorites on with calls of “hyvä, hyvä” and “mene, mene” — which is Finnish for “good, good” and “go, go” — as the reindeer sprinted down the final stretch.
In between races, people kept warm with reindeer soup and kampanisu, a traditional local pastry specialty from Salla.
The competition culminated Sunday with the final rounds and it was reindeer named Pompom which won the final race.
“Pompom is exceptionally fast and smart, and you rarely find one like that," said Hannu Krupula, the winning animal's owner.
“If there’s any weakness, it’s that it’s not very good-looking — which can be misleading,” he added.
"When you look at that reindeer, you might quickly think it’s poorly fed or something. But it eats well. It’s a rare individual.”
And thus after the race, Pompom and all the other reindeer got their own reward — lichen, their favorite treat.
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