page_title: Pacu jawi
section_title: Race
hierarchical_section_title: Pacu jawi / Race
caption_attribution_description: English: Jockey biting a bull's tail during Pacu Jawi
context_page_description: The pacu jawi is a traditional bull race in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia. In the race, a jockey stands on a wooden plough loosely tied to a pair of bulls and holds them by their tails while the bulls cover about 60–250 metres of muddy track in a rice field. Although the name means a "bull race", the bulls do not directly compete against each other, and no formal winner is declared. Instead, spectators judge the bulls by their performance, and may buy well-performing bulls at well above their usual price. The people of Tanah Datar—especially the nagaris in four of its districts—have been conducting this tradition for centuries to celebrate the end of the rice harvest. The race is held concurrently with a village festival of culture called alek pacu jawi. Recently it has become a tourist attraction supported by the government and the subject of multiple award-winning photographs.
context_section_description: Despite its name pacu jawi (literally "bull race" or "cow race" in Minangkabau), it is not generally conducted as a direct competition between the animals. Instead, each participant (a jockey, with a pair of bulls) takes a turn running across the track. The animals are usually bulls (male cattle) between 2–13 years old, and run in pairs. Both bulls are connected by a rope to a wooden plough, where the jockey stands. They run in a muddy track, an empty patch of rice fields that have been cleared after harvest. Sources—witnessing different instances of the race—describe various length of the track, including around 60 metres (200 ft), 100 metres (330 ft), and 250 metres (820 ft). The track can be covered by up to 30 centimetres (12 in) of mud. The bulls are trained to start running when the plough is on the ground and someone steps on it. The jockey controls the animals and remains standing by holding on to the tails of both bulls. The jockey does not carry any whip. Because the rope connecting the animals is loose, the animals are likely to try to run in different directions or with different speeds, and the jockey must keep them running straight together while also struggling to stay upright.
  Spectators, sometimes including international tourists, watch the race, usually from a dry patch of field higher than the track. Part of the attraction is the bulls' unexpected behavior, often causing the jockey to fall or to perform manoeuvres like biting a bull's tail to make it run faster. Occasionally the jockey does this to speed up his animals, especially when one is running slower than the other. Mud splashes everywhere, including on nearby spectators. Bulls might also veer off track and charge in the spectators' direction. Injuries, especially among jockeys, are quite common. No winner is declared, but spectators judge the bulls by their speed, strength, and their ability to run straight on the track. Traditionally, the ability to run straight is important, and it is meant to teach people that those who follow the straight path deserve the most respect and honor. Owning a well-performing pair of bulls can be a source of pride for the locals, so spectators might buy such bulls at up to 2–3 times their usual price. This potential profit is one of the main motivations among participants.
  Hundreds of cattle can participate in a pacu jawi, including from the host nagari and also from the other three traditional nagaris of pacu jawi. Tanah Datar's Tourism Office provides funding and trucks for transporting the animals. Prior to this government involvement, cattle used to travel up to 50 kilometres (31 mi) on foot (often overnight). During the event, the cattle that are not currently racing are kept in a separate area, often near the finish line. Their presence is said to encourage the racing bulls to run faster to join the herd.
caption: A jockey bites one of his bulls' tail as a signal to run faster.
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