Centuries Old Tradition Continued as 298th Alka Held in Sinj

Croatia’s political elite, led by President Ivo Josipovic and Parliament Speaker Josip Leko, were in attendance at the 298th Alka Knights Games in the southern Croatian town of Sinj on Sunday, with Croatian General Ante Gotovina being made a honourary member of the Alka Knights.

Sinjska alka, as the event is known, is an equestrian competition which has been held every first Sunday in the month of August in Sinj since 1715, commemorating the victory over Ottoman Turkish administration. Now in its 298th year, the Alka Knights Games is an equestrian competition, in which various horsemen attempt to aim their lances at a hanging metal ring, known as the Alka, at full gallop. Sinjska alka were inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2010.

This year’s winner was 29-year-old Ante Zorica, who claimed his third title.