On the north side, four bulls and four rams are being led by their drivers to the sacrifice.
They are followed by three skaphephoroi carrying trays with their offerings, and four water carriers with heavy vessels for water.
Musicians are also following; four flutists and four cithara players.
Now come sixteen elders, the thallophoroi with their olive branches shown in paint on the background frieze.
The next group shows the apobates race. This was one of the oldest Panathenaic contests.
The contest went as follows: there is a race of quadrigas with charioteer and hoplite. During the course, the hoplite must mount and dismount from the racing chariot.
In the scene on the frieze twelve chariots show the start of the race, the race itself, the mounting of the hoplites and the finish. Each chariot takes up one and one-half blocks.
The chariot itself was drawn on two wheels. The horses were yoked by means of a strong wooden shaft that was attached to the axis of the wheels. The charioteer and the apobates, shown just at the moment of his descent from the chariot, can be seen.
The last chariot in the apobates group is standing still.
The next section of the north frieze shows groups of horsemen, their horses overlapping each other creating several levels.
Here too the files of horsemen form ten groups, but they are not equally divided and they cannot be distinguished by a difference in their garments.
The first in a group, as a rule, is the one whose horse is shown completely free without overlapping. These are thought to be the leaders.
This is the best preserved section of the frieze. The variety of garment worn by the horsemen is clearly seen. Some are shown as fully clad, some in full panoply; yet others are virtually nude. Beardless youths are depicted with differences in coiffure.
Most of the horsemen look straight ahead, but here too there is movement and variety of composition with the heads of some in different poses. Repeated often is the characteristic motive of the horseman looking back.
All the horses are rendered in profile. Their limbs are slender and their heads, eyes, muzzles, manes, and tails are rendered in such a way as to emphasize their individual character.
At this point separate groups stand out more clearly: these horsemen are leading these groups.
The turn of the head in relation to the body, as well as the legs of the horses, all had to be carved in such a way as to imply many different levels, yet the relief has a depth of only 5 centimeters.
On the corner of the block at its north side, the horsemen stand, preparing to mount their steeds. A little boy is shown adjusting his master's belt while the man arranges the folds of his chitoniskos, and a horseman makes fast the band around his hair.
