PURPOSE This study aimed to explore the phenomenon of Duanopo Horse racing in Sandu Sui Autonomous County, Guizhou Province, China, considering the event as a sport-tourism spectacle.In the context of that which incorporates variables, such as sport tourism expectations (STE), perceived quality (PQ), destination image (DI), and behavioral loyalty (BL). METHOD This study employs a combination of literature review and quantitative methodologies to explore interrelations among STE, PQ, DI, and BL in the Duanpo horse race in Sandu. The study specifically targets sports tourists who have participated in the "Duanpo Horse Race" in Sandu, from whom 395 valid questionnaires were collected for analysis. RESULT The quantitative analysis yielded several key findings. First, STE was found to significantly impact DI. Second, there was a highly significant effect of STE on PQ. Third, STE was not found to significantly affect BL. Fourth, the impact of DI on BL was not significant. Fifth, DI was found to significantly influence PQ. Lastly, PQ had a very significant effect on BL. CONCLUSION This study provides a quantitative examination of the Duanpo Horse Race within the Sui ethnic group from a sports tourism perspective. It contributes to the body of knowledge on sports tourism and ethnic traditional sports by clarifying relationships between STE, PQ, DI, and BL. The findings suggest that the government can draw more tourists by integrating ethnic traditional sports culture into the broader tourism culture. Enhancement of infrastructure and the quality of event services and management are pivotal. Such initiatives not only attract tourism but also facilitate the sustainable development of traditional ethnic sports culture.