What
do you get when 100 stallions carrying men sporting Russian tank helmets and a
dead goat collide in Central Asia? A sport, of course! Buzkashi: one of
the most brutal sports still played today.
Buzkashi, from the Tajik
words buz (goat) and kashi (to pull), is not for the faint
hearted, nor is it for fans who expect safety while spectating, at least not as
it is played here in the Rasht Valley of Tajikistan - a breathtaking landscape nestled
between the Pamir and the Trans Allay mountain ranges along the southern border
with Kyrgyzstan. In this region, buzkashi is a notoriously
dangerous game – for riders and spectators alike.
While buzkashi is unlike any other sport,
there are vague similarities to rugby or polo and involves independent riders,
called chovandoz in Tajikistan, fiercely playing tug-of-war with a
headless goat carcass, while on horseback. The objective of the game is to toss
the carcass into the center of the target. In our area, the target is a
remarkably small car tire.
The playing field is an open, most often snowy field,
without boundaries. Up to a couple hundred horses could be involved in a game;
they stampede at high speeds and change course unpredictably. Because the riders frequently drop the reigns
as they battle for the carcass, the speed and wildly shifting directions of the
game could be likened to an Indy 500 race in which the drivers do not actually
take hold of the steering wheel - a formula for utter mayhem and hazard.
Collisions are inevitable, especially when the play heads directly into the
crowds, or when photographing the game from the center of the playing field as
I often would do. In one game of chicken with a speeding stallion I was unequivocally
the sore loser. I consider that incident one of a multitude of rites-of-passage
that I endured over the years while participating in this wild game.
Buzkashi is known for its lack
of rules. The few rules that exist revolve around scoring. Each round of play
is won when the chovandoz throws the goat halol (fair and square)
into the center of the tire, earning the rider a prize. Each successful toss
can be rewarded by any one of a variety of household goods such as tin buckets,
soup bowls, washbasins, or tea sets. I marvel at the brutality and passion of
play for the prize of a tea set. Tajiks do love their tea!
Occasionally
someone in the crowd will offer a more valuable prize, notably increasing the
aggressiveness of the game. One hundred Tajik Somonis (roughly USD$20), a large
carpet, TV set, or parabolic antenna can make a single round continue for over
an hour, creating an enthusiastic frenzy amid both chovandoz and
spectators. The crowd frequently numbers over 500 - all male - and generates a
tremendous uproar with their shouting and cheering!
The players in buzkashi are remarkably
adept horsemen with virtually unmatched equestrian skills. Leveraging their weight
in the stirrups, the players hang off the side of their horses or dangle over
the necks of these massive mounts, pulling at either end of the carcass while moving
at breakneck speeds. Broken bones, bloody hands, and lacerated faces are not
uncommon.
It is precisely the skill of these riders that
captivated, awed, and inspired me to, week after wintry week, risk making my
way to the playing field under extremely hazardous conditions. Depending
on the weather, the trip could take between two to four hours, although only 40
miles away. In our region the game is only played during the winter months,
when there is no agricultural work pending. During one year's agonizingly
bitter winter I endured sub-freezing temperatures, deeply rutted iced roads,
avalanches, and landslides in order to attend and participate every weekend.
And of course, once on the playing field there was always the likelihood of
sustaining injuries in order to observe, photograph, and ride in the game; all
of which I did. I considered it an honor to take so intimate a part in this
ancient and brutal sport alongside these skilled horsemen. In my case, it was a
unique honor because I was the sole female in attendance in this more
religiously and culturally conservative area of Tajikistan.
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Although the game of buzkashi is indeed
brutal, and the chovandoz appear barbaric to some, this is in contrast
to the real character and culture of Tajiks. Chovandoz are
unquestionably as kind and generous off the playing field as they are fierce and
aggressive on it. Tajik people are a guest-loving culture and the people of the
Rasht Valley, including the chovandoz, uphold this reputation with a warm
and royal treatment of guests. It is a reflection of their hearty spirit in
this remote region that, in spite of living in harsh conditions and playing extreme
sports, they offer extraordinarily gracious hospitality. They extended their respect
to me - even welcomed me to play their sport, and although my skill was
marginal by comparison, occasionally I would even win a tea set.
All photos taken by me with the exception of the photos taken of me that were taken by Roger Horton and Mulobek Vazirov.
I invite you to check out this link to a beautiful movie about the lives of a few of the chovandoz in Tajikistan and the ancient sport in which they participate. Continue to check for dates that the film may play at a theater near you.
http://www.oxusfilms.com/buzkashi.html
I invite you to check out this link to a beautiful movie about the lives of a few of the chovandoz in Tajikistan and the ancient sport in which they participate. Continue to check for dates that the film may play at a theater near you.
http://www.oxusfilms.com/buzkashi.html
