Excavations in the Thracian Valley of Bulgaria have brought to light silver-plated chariot linings and horse trappings used in the nearly forgotten Festival of the White Horses. This spring equinox event involved the racing of purebred white stallions to honor the Thracian Horseman deity. The silver linings, featuring embossed images of solar disks and running vines, were designed to dazzle spectators as the chariots moved through the sun-drenched processional ways.
The site also yielded a logistical ledger inscribed on a lead tablet, listing the grain rations provided for the horses and the wine allocations for the festival participants. This evidence of organized state planning demonstrates that the Thracian elite invested heavily in these equestrian festivals to consolidate political power and celebrate military and agricultural prowess.