Menu’s triumphs

Interesting fact about the record set by King Menua

The rulers of Van turned sports competitions (possibly also military exercises) into national celebrations. They not only organized such events, but also ordered the exceptional achievements recorded in them to be “immortalized” with stone inscriptions. Such a record is the original account of King Menua’s horse jump, which is rightfully considered a world record. “With the power of the Chaldeans, Minua says to Ishpuinord: ‘From this very place, the steed, named Artsib, jumped 22 cubits under Minua (…)’.” The name of the menu’s horse, Artsibi, is the Armenian word for “eagle” (cuneiform did not have the “v” sound, as a result of which it was transmitted as “b”). The “standing” length is 51.8 cm, meaning Menua’s horse jumped 11 m 39 cm. The world record for a stallion jump in equestrian sports, set before 1914, was 11 m 28 cm. Menua’s record for the Artsib horse was only broken in 1975. Remaining unbeaten for 2,800 years, Menua’s score is the longest-standing record in world history. It is noteworthy that the inscription was discovered in a plain between the Van Rocks and the Varaga Mountains, which has been a horse racing ground for the Armenian army for centuries.