Published: February 11, 2009 3:32 pm ET

Last Comment: February 12, 2009 8:52 pm ET | 1 Comment(s) | Jump to Comments

With unseasonably warm temperatures this February in the village of Dusetos, located in northeastern Lithuania, organizers went to incredible lengths to make the wildly popular and historic event a go for its throng of fans.

Started in the 19th century, the Sartai Winter Horse Races on the frozen lake of Sartai were facing the possibility of cancellation this time around. With relatively balmy temperatures, the status of the ice was inquestion.

A report by The Baltic Times states that in order to ensure this year's edition would be a 'go,' organizers poured 2,000 tons of lake water into the hippodrome nearby to make the setup as similar to the original race setting as possible. The article goes on to say that about 70 racers from Lithuania and abroad competed in 10 rounds of the race, with the three winners breaking Sartai Race records.

Accompanied with a full blown festival, the event reportedly attracted 50,000 people.

To read The Baltic Times article in its entirety, click here.

(With files from The Baltic Times)