Trainers clad in ornate uniforms and traditional white fur headgear led golden-bedecked stallions round a stage arena at an annual horse beauty pageant in the ultra-closed Central Asian state of Turkmenistan. The ancient and endangered Akhal-Teke is the subject of a fervent state cult in the desert nation, built up by horse-loving Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, ex-president and official father of the nation. AFP was given rare access to the competition, held at an equestrian complex in the capital Ashgabat and presided over by strongman president Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Gurbanguly's son. Crowds of men in matching tracksuits clapped in unison and waved national flags as sand-coloured stallion Hankerven, adorned with jewellery and a traditional carpet, clinched the top prize. "There are no beauty contests for women in Turkmenistan but there are for horses," said Ashir, a 70-year-old breeder. "We Turkmen are known for our carpets and horses," he told AFP at his stud farm not far from the capital. "That is why our flag features carpet motifs and our coat of arms depicts the Akhal-Teke." The beauty of the species and its importance in Turkmen tradition has earned it a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Foal rap The Turkmen authorities discourage residents from speaking without permission to foreign media, with outside journalists rarely allowed into the reclusive country. Human rights monitors rank the energy-rich former Soviet republic among the world's most isolated and closed states, alongside Afghanistan and North Korea. Turkmenistan's ruling duo – Gurbanguly and Serdar Berdymukhamedov – hold a tight grasp on power. Read more‘Gateway to Hell’: Turkmenistan urged to plug gas leaks driving climate change Criticism and opposition of their dynasty are outlawed and the state apparatus has crafted intense personality cults around them. Horse-obsessed Gurbanguly has churned out numerous books about Akhal-Tekes and even penned a rap song in honour of one of his foals. "You are like the wind at daybreak, you are like a cherished vision," he sings in a direct address to the horse, named Rovach. "You are an inspiration... more precious than gold."