Buzkashi - More Action!

So here I am, right on the edge of the Buzkashi action.

Each turn starts off with a rugby-like scrum near the finish circle in front of the official reviewing stand. The riders whip their horses into the scrum in order to push others out of the way so that they can grab the carcass from the ground. (Editor's note: click on the photo and check out the armed security on the building in the background. Good to see.)

Here’s a closer shot of the scrum with a good example of how they pushed and reared the horses forward into the pile in order to move others out of the way.

After a rider is able to grab the carcass, he races down the right side of the stadium, heading for the far end of the field. I think they always headed down the right side in order to block other riders from being able to snatch the carcass from them. Notice how the rider has to lean to the left to balance the weight of the probably 100-pound carcass.

Here the prize-money man decided to get in the mix and tried to steal the carcass. Seconds after this picture, he had caught up to the other rider and I saw the his RIGHT hand reach out on the lower LEFT side of his horse as he reached out to within inches of grabbing the carcass from the other rider. Mentally, I had focused in on his hand so much it almost felt like I was watching it in slow motion. It was only after they passed that I realized how far to the left he must have been leaning off of the horse to get that close to touching the carcass while the other rider was speeding away.