Contestants in this traditional sport desperately cling to bulls' tails as the animals thrash across muddy fields in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Pacu Jawi is a festival held in the Tanah Datar Regency during the rice harvest season that attracts tourists from abroad.

It features jockeys clinging onto the tails of their bulls and racing them across rice fields. The audience judges the contestants by performance, how fast they run and how straight.

This footage was filmed on July 5.

The famous bull race tradition in West Sumatra provincd is called Pacu Jawi.

Pacu Jawi is a festival held in Tanah Datar regency during the rice harvest season.
But now, Pacu Jawi is no longer just a local tradition, but has become an event that attracts not just local but also international tourists. This tradition is performed to express gratitude for the crop harvest as well as a form of entertainment for the community.

The race is unique because the jockeys have to bite the tails of the cows to make them run. In addition, the winning cow will fetch a high price when sold.

For the local people, Pacu Jawi has many meanings. One of them is a way of reminding people to be upright and be able to live harmoniously by strengthening communal bonds. And as the race increases the value of the cattle, it also spurs the local economy


Pacu Jawi Tradition after Eid Al-Adha in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra on July 5, 2023.