After I inquired repeatedly about attending an ulak-tartysh match, or Kyrgyz polo (called buzkashi in Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan), my girlfriend’s driver, Asanbek, finally alerted us to an upcoming game on Saturday at the Gippodrom on the western edge of Bishkek. Asanbek is a wise and jovial Kyrgyz man, but despite having earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy, he chose to take up the more lucrative profession of driving taxis in Bishkek. Asanbek kindly escorted us to the match, though he seldom attended them himself. I was personally relieved to find out he would join us at the stadium. After hearing stories about this violent sport, especially the more chaotic version of buzkashi in Tajikistan, where the rushing tide of riders often spills over the sidelines and into the crowd, I was preparing myself for vodka-fueled mayhem both on and off the pitch.As we found our seats in the far end of the stadium away from the packed center section, I soon realized this might be a more civilized event than I imagined. Alcohol was not permitted as far as I could tell, and a family atmosphere prevailed. In fact, so many kids swarmed about the railing along the field, one poor policeman had the unenviable job of clearing them off, only to watch them swarm back minutes later at the other end. Soon the drama along the fence line was overshadowed by a sudden burst of cheers and whistles from the crowd as two horses broke into view and raced along the near side of the pitch, one sporting a male rider and the other a female rider. The male rider took a staggered start behind the female rider and his goal was to catch her before she crossed the baseline of the pitch at the other end. According to tradition, if the male rider catches the woman, then he has won the right to kiss her. This race was repeated going the other direction, but the man took a head start this time. If the woman catches him this time, she earns the right to slap him on the face with her horsewhip. Of course this was only a dramatization of a nomadic tradition, but the crowd cheered them on with abandon as if they all came today just to see the guy get whipped in the face. And today our bloodthirsty crowd was not let down, and our male rider went home with a stylish welt across his cheek.
Soon the two teams took the field, riding single file towards the centerline from opposite ends. This was a big match-up featuring two of the top ulak teams in Kyrgyzstan, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Of course pride and honor was on the line, but so was a cache of Chinese-made televisions, DVD players and portable stereos for the winning team. In other countries, the victor's spoils include silk cloaks, cash and guns. The riders then streamed toward the far side of the pitch and arrayed themselves by team facing the crowd. As each rider was introduced, his horse stepped out front then quickly stepped back into line as applause rang out. In short order the starting teams took to the field while the substitutes stayed saddled on the far sidelines.
The ball, or "boz", in this case was a goat carcass, though at times calf or sheep carcasses are used depending on what's available. Ancient lore says the the game was introduced when Genghis Khan ruled the Central Asian steppes, but instead of a goat carcass, human carcasses were used instead, something that was in no short supply once Genghis and his boys visited your town. For our match here in modern day Bishkek, one lucky goat was selected the day before the match and slaughtered, having it's head and lower legs cut off and the stumps sewn up tight. Next, the carcass is soaked in cold water for 24 hours to toughen it up. At kickoff time the carcass is dropped in the center of the pitch and upon the ref's signal, two herds of pumped-up riders converge on the carcass as each team attempts to take possession of the boz. This is where the acrobatics and feats of strength begin, because the rider must reach down and pick up this 50-80 lb. lump of flesh, pull it up and hold it with one hand, with the horse whip in mouth and the other hand on the reins while trying to ride toward the opponents goal as other riders smashed and rammed into him.
Of course, no fists or elbows can be thrown intentionally, but there is no way to stop such motions in the maelstrom of man, horse, saddle, dirt, goat, snorting, grabbing, tugging, straining and whipping. Broken noses, tenderized faces, broken arms and legs, occasionally death by trampling are all risks these riders face with only padded shorts, athletic tape and WWII-era pilot helmets as protection. Mercifully, nobody died for a DVD player today, but we did see one poor rider sitting in the ambulance holding up a badly mangled hand as a doctor attempted to apply a splint. He should at least get a Wung Shi CD player for his sacrifice.
Essentially, the game is quite simple. The winning team is the one who scores the most points by dropping or tossing the boz into the opponents goal, which is a raised circular pit made of dirt, reinforced with car tires. But the speed, the brutality, the incredible feats of strength and horse riding skills all combine to make it one hell of a sport to watch. It's a real adrenaline rush to stand along the fence at the center line and feel the pounding of the hooves, hear the grunts and screams of the riders and horses alike, and see the sweat and dirt kicked up as the rider holding the boz is able to break free from the congealed scrum and dash down the sideline toward glory. Basically, if you like rugby, polo, football, rodeo and ultimate fighting, you’ll love ulak.
For more pictures of the goat-tastic action, click here.
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