And
they’re off! Jockeys compete in the 139th running of the Chonburi Water
Buffalo Races. The event, which started as an end of Buddhist Lent
respite from hard work in the fields, has grown to become
internationally famous.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
More than 1,000 buffalos preened for the camera and
raced for glory as Chonburi again marked the end of rainy season with a
week of fun, food and racing.
The 139th races drew larger crowds of locals and
tourists this year to fields in front of Chonburi District Office and
city hall Oct. 16-22 as new Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit rang the gong opening
the ever-popular event. He and Chonburi Mayor Sumana Muthakij led a
parade through the Chonburi Market area, a tradition for much of the
past century.
Using teamwork to climb the greased pole and retrieve the 100 baht note
at the top.
The week featured more than cattle with slingshot
shooting, kite competitions, post-climbing, cock fighting and Muay Thai
boxing filling the playbill. But the highlight was the buffalo racing,
which featured beasts competing in large, medium and small sizes. There
were also beauty pageants, both for intricately dressed-up women and
buffalos.
The Chonburi races aren’t the only ones in the area.
This year, Chonburi city and Ban Bung hold theirs on separate dates in
November corresponding to the 14th and 15th waxing moons of the Chinese
calendar. Chonburi Province’s festival, however, is the most popular.
Provincial historians believe the races and festival
were first held when Chonburi was the center of trade for the eastern
part of Thailand. Farmers and merchants from the region would descend on
Chonburi’s Ban Beung District to trade their goods, bringing their
produce and wares by way of buffalo drawn carts. What exactly transpired
prompting the first race is uncertain, but provincial historians suggest
that it probably started at Wat Luang, now called Wat Yai Intharam.
Merchants would park their carts near the market and
the water buffalo were tethered off to the side to rest, or taken to
bathe following the trip into town where lotus flowers were collected
for offerings at the temple. Presumably, there were some fun-seeking
individuals at the annual gathering who, at the end of Buddhist Lent and
before leaving Chonburi, would gather and race their buffalo for a bit
of fun and camaraderie. Water buffalo races eventually became a common
reoccurrence each year.
During the reign of King Rama VI, His Majesty King
Mongkut visited Chonburi and proudly witnessed the event on December 7,
1912, which helped commemorate the event to this day. Other records
indicate that Rama V also witnessed the buffalo races in Chonburi,
remarking that the enjoyable event should be preserved as a national
tradition.
Pole
boxing is always a popular event.
You
looking at me?
Governor Wichit Chatpaisit arrives on a farmer’s cart drawn by water
buffalo during the opening day parade.
And
they’re off!
Oops.
It’s
number 13 by a head.
