A Mad Muddy Messy Cow Race in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Every year in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia, farmers with their cows gather together for the most-awaited muddy race in town, the Pacu Jawi.
Pacu Jawi, simply translated as Cow Race, is a traditional Indonesian event that’s been around hundreds of years. This is a celebration of the rice farmers after the harvest season for entertainment. The event goes on for 11 months around Tahan Datar’s districts.
Each jockey rides with a pair of cows both held together by a wooden contraption where he stands, holding each cow’s tails for steering. The cows will start running along the 20-30 meter long muddy field once the jockey bites the tip of their tails, one after the other.
The race won’t be complete with pairs of cows shifting away from the finish line. Sometimes, cows run through the audience or run in split directions making the jockey fall face down in the mud; but those are mostly the highlights of the event that’ll definitely entertain the spectators. Each winning cow will get an increase in its price which is usually twice the cost of a regular cow.
