Some sports are specific to certain regions and thus gain a cultural cachet that those regions exploit. Ban’ei keiba, a form of racing that features large draft horses pulling heavy sleds over a straight course, is unique to Hokkaido, a by-product of agricultural life there since the island was opened to development in the 19th century.

With the possible exception of its central role in the award-winning 2005 feature film “What the Snow Brings,” ban’ei racing has attracted little attention outside of Hokkaido, and even within the prefecture its star has been fading. Once there were ban’ei race tracks in four cities, but now the only one active is in Obihiro. Since the pandemic started, however, the sport’s popularity has increased considerably, especially among people who like to gamble.

Last month, ban’ei racing received attention when a video of an April 18 test race was shared widely on the internet. Test races are held to find out if new horses can advance to official races, and this one was broadcast live online as a promotional event. During the race, a 2-year-old female had trouble making it over one of the two 1.6-meter high sand-covered mounds on the 200-meter course. The filly’s forelegs sank into the sand and she stopped moving, so the jockey, who normally stands on the sled and urges the horse on, got off and kicked her in the face twice in an attempt to get her to move.