Traditional reindeer racing is delighting spectators in frigid Finland

SALLA, Finland (AP) — Traditional reindeer racing that's been delighting spectators for decades in Finland brought hundreds of fans to the Salla Reindeer Cup in the town of Salla this past weekend.

Around 1,000 people attended the competition, despite frigid subfreezing temperatures and the remote location near the Russian border, roughly 264 kilometers (164 miles) northeast of the city of Oulu.

They watched and cheered as the reindeer galloped across the snow-covered track, pulling their handlers behind them on skis. Whoever is fastest wins the race.

Spectators came not only from Finland but also Italy, Norway, Germany and France, among other countries.

Reindeer husbandry has been an important part of Scandinavian culture for many decades, especially for the Sami Indigenous people in the far north of the country.

“Salla has a long history in reindeer racing — it’s been going on here since the 1950s,” said Lasse Aatsinki, the head of Salla Reindeer Cup. “Back then, men spent winters in the forest, there were no snowmobiles. In late winter, the reindeer were in great shape, so they started racing them.”

These days, reindeer racing is an organized and regulated competition with trained male reindeer.

The premiere event was the so-called hot series, in which reindeer qualify if they race the kilometer-long (just over a half-mile) track in 1 minute, 19 seconds, or less. Only the fastest reindeer get to compete in this race.

“It’s a science. A lot depends on the reindeer’s character — it has to tolerate a lot: the audience, other reindeer, noise, movement,” Aatsinki said. “Everyone has their tricks — and they’re usually kept under the fur hat. Every owner has their own way.”

During the race, crowds cheered their favorites on with calls of “hyvä, hyvä” and “mene, mene” — which is Finnish for “good, good” and “go, go” — as the reindeer sprinted down the final stretch.

In between races, people kept warm with reindeer soup and kampanisu, a traditional local pastry specialty from Salla.

The competition culminated Sunday with the final rounds and it was reindeer named Pompom which won the final race.

“Pompom is exceptionally fast and smart, and you rarely find one like that,” said Hannu Krupula, the winning animal's owner.

“If there’s any weakness, it’s that it’s not very good-looking — which can be misleading,” he added.

“When you look at that reindeer, you might quickly think it’s poorly fed or something. But it eats well. It’s a rare individual.”

And thus after the race, Pompom and all the other reindeer got their own reward — lichen, a symbiotic, colorful organism that grows on trees or rocks, and is the animals' favorite treat.

A reindeer breaks away from the pack during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event on the frozen Lake Keselmajarvi in Salla, Finland, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)

A reindeer handler guides an eager reindeer to the starting area during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event in Salla, Finland, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)

A reindeer breaks away from the pack during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event on the frozen Lake Keselmajarvi in Salla, Finland, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)

Reindeer rest in their holding area beneath Sallatunturi fell before the start of reindeer racing at the Salla Porocup sprint racing event in Salla, Finland, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)

A junior competitor bursts out of the starting gate during the Salla Porocup sprint racing event in Salla, Finland, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)

Reindeer compete during the Salla Porocup reindeer sprint racing event on the frozen Lake Keselmajarvi in Salla, Finland, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aino Vaananen)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who authorities say tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives while President Donald Trump appeared in court Monday to face charges in a chaotic encounter that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being rushed off the stage and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.

Cole Tomas Allen was taken into custody after the shooting on Saturday night and is being charged in federal court in Washington. Court papers laying out the charges were not immediately available, though authorities have said Allen will face charges including assault on a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Authorities say an officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot in the vest but is expected to recover.

Allen, of Torrance, California, is being represented by lawyers with the federal defender's office and sat beside them in court in a blue jail uniform.

Prosecutors have not revealed a motive, but in a message reviewed by The Associated Press that authorities say was sent by Allen to family members minutes before the attack, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” made repeated references to the Republican president without naming him and alluded to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.

Allen, 31, is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held with its typically tight security, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Video posted by Trump shows a man, who authorities say was armed with guns and knives, running past a security barricade as Secret Service agents run toward him.

Records show Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed to this report.

Law enforcement respond to an incident at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Secret service agents respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Pedestrians walk past the home, middle back, connected to Cole Tomas Allen, who was identified as the suspect at the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting, as members of the media stage, in Torrance, Calif., Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Members of law enforcement control shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ADDITION: Adds name of shooting suspect after name shared by law enforcement officials

Attendees and hotel workers evacuate after an incident at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)