ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Kyrgyzstan,
In the village of Uzgen, Osh region, more than 170 horses (in this picture) and men wearing the classic Soviet tank hat or a Kyrgyz tebetei hat, push and shove each other with dexterity and endurance in fearless combat as they fight for possession of a young 60 kg bull. Itin Bietov Jildizbek, a wealthy local man, has organized a massive game of Alaman-Ulak to celebrate the 13th birthday of his son Cherniaz. Thousands of riders have come to compete for the prizes he is offering throughout the day; 10 horses, 10 yaks, 10 camels, and the grand prize of the final game, a Lada brand car.

Kok Boru is the national sport of Kyrgyzstan. Dead Goat Polo as some refer to it looks more like cavalier rugby with a headless goat as a ball. Two teams of five fearless men on horseback try to score a point by heaving the 20-kilo body into the tai kazan (goal) at either end. There is an exception called Alaman-Ulak where hundreds of riders fight for the goat.

Only stallions are used in this game because they are naturally anti-social and eager to fight off rivals. The players train their horses to muscle out other horses in the pack while they themselves wrestle each other to snatch the goat and gallop toward the goal, slamming into the rubber tires of the meter-high mound. 
The origins of this legendary game lie somewhere between nomads hunting or defending their livestock against predatory wolves, to men and horses honing their fighting skills. Boys from the age of 4 - 5 learn to play on donkeys and instead of a goat, they throw around a much lighter pillow made of goatskin stuffed with hay. The new generation is happy to continue this rough-and-tumble game.

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