A Men's World

Buzkashi is an archaic and wild game of horse riders with a sheep or goat carcass, common in Tajikistan and all over Central Asia. With few visible rules, riders of two competing parties try to get hold of the carcass and thrust it into the other party's goal with all out of the body of men and horses. It is played in vast arenas or even more often, on an open field out in nature. There seem to be no limits to the number of participants, as I have seen games with 30-40 up to several hundred players. The game is straining for riders and horses alike, so horses are usually exchanged after 20-30 minutes. Buzkashi is a common pastime for men in Tajikistan, where usually no womenfolk is allowed. Young boys join their elder relatives to watch the game as spectators or take care of the horses. With an unfazed popularity, Bukashi seems to offer one of the rare opportunities where men in Tajikistan can celebrate traditional notions of manhood, while escaping the usual social and political control for a few hours.