Watch Pacu Jawi on Mount Marapi

Biting the tail of the live cow? Is disgusting. That was my response when I heard a story from a friend who has ever watched Pacu Jawi (Cow Race). I can not imagine anyone would to bite the tail of the muddy live cow that hairy and smelly.

This unique spectacle can be seen in the Pacu Jawi on the slopes of Mount Marapi, Tanah Datar regency, West Sumatra, which is often held after the rice harvest.

In the arena the jockey will bite hard cow's tail so that the cows run fast. Minang people named the cow as a Jawi, so the show called "Pacu Jawi", Cow Race.

My curiosity want to watch Pacu Jawi finally accomplished. Apparently there are attractions Pacu Jawi, in the Nagari River Tarab. Now people are avid making Jawi Pacu event at once after planting rice because more and more viewed for entertainment.

The place is far in the middle of the terraces rice field area at the foot of Mount Marapi. Need to work extra hard to reach the site because they have to walk on the rice field and puddles. Tarab River, Mount Marapi look more towering than usual because some ridge covered with fog.
In front of it is stretched rice terraces, and there is one field that is quite wide with a length of about 60 meters to be used for Pacu Jawi. The ground was muddy and quite smooth in the four weeks because it was tested by dozens of cows who participated Pacu Jawi. In this Jawi Pacu no longer smelled the smell of cow manure, but that there is the smell of fresh mud fields.

Saluang puffs merrily playing with the accompaniment of drums. Mother brings a tray of snacks, which contain carved hood. Dozens of cows that will be racing also seen the owner is ready to compete in the field.
Apparently this is due to the closing of a dozen bulls already made-up like a bride. Starting from his head decorated plastic flower arrangements, horns wrapped in embroidered velvet, and the whole body fitted with colorful fabric. That cow sign host of River Tarab. The next morning they were paraded around the village which marks the closure of Pacu Jawi event that has lasted four weeks every Saturday.

There are four districts that have a tradition of Pacu Jawi in Tanah Datar, namely Sungai Tarab, Pariangan, propagation, and Five People. The fourth area is at the slopes of Mount Marapi. Jawi Pacu was carried out after the rice harvest and place rotated every district that implemented for four weeks every Saturday.
To increase the stamina of the cow, before being taken to race, cows are not given the grass, but eat eggs and honey mixed with energy drinks.

Finally, the long-awaited event arrived. I took a spot near the starting line. Want to see the important moments when the jockey biting the cow's tail. The rule, each cows were given kala, or a wooden plow, which would be crushed at jockey' right leg and left. Jockey to control the cow by pulling both of his cows. Cow racing only two.

Which is considered a champion is a pair of cows running straight, not turned into rice fields, and the jockey did not fall. There are no winners because spectators who witnessed the cow who is the most whiz. Of course after that the price of the hero becomes cheapher.

Pacu Jawi began with shouts of "Heyahhh ..!" of the race leader. Shouts that made the second calf gallop. This is where the unique and funny thing is, there are splashes of mud everywhere, face and body drenched in muddy fields jockey.

There is a jockey who immediately bounced down because cow ran very fast. There is a jockey who fell off because only one cow gallop. And this is what I've been waiting for, in between rain splashes of mud seemingly a jockey who tried to control the cow by pulling the tail and biting one of the cows. Finally, two cows and a successful jockey to the end that greeted the audience cheers.