Makepung, traditional buffalo races in Negara, Bali

There is a rule concerning human nature: if an **animal **can move, someone somewhere will use it for racing. There are the proverbial rat races, cockroach races, snail **races **(a single match can take a full day), duck races, even fish races. The **traditional racing animal **of **Bali **is a buffalo. It has a certain advantage over, for example, a cockroach: it can pull a **chariot **with a jockey. **Competitions **take place in the western part of the island, near the town of Negara. Surprisingly – or not so surprisingly, if you again think of human nature – almost no **travelers **ever know about it. This is on an island that receives yearly 50 times more international **tourists **than its own population. Well, they miss a lot – **makepung **is exciting, fast-paced, although, admittedly, quite brutal.

Bloody sport

**Buffaloes **do not look built for running, but they can run. They just need a good reason. A stimulus. Did you know that this word originally meant a sharp stick for prodding cattle? Well, a stimulus is what they get. More precisely, a club with nails in it. By the end of the loop, the rumps of the **animals **are covered in blood; half-crazed, berserk jockeys, competing for the prize, stand up precariously in their **chariots **and keep smacking them over and over. Not a suitable **sight **for **animal **lovers, perhaps, but how much worse is it than pulling a plow for the whole life, only to end up as grilled meat and cured leather? Racing buffaloes are exempted from agricultural labor, they do nothing other than running, living for sport. The stakes are high enough for this.

Not a show

While **travelers **are as welcome at makepung races as they are normally anywhere in Indonesia, the event should not be mistaken for a show, or a **tourist **circus. Nor is it merely a folk game, or a means to get the respect of the community, unlike many other animal races. It is real big sport, with hardcore **competition **and hefty monetary prizes. The grand prix winner takes home tens of millions IDR - a few thousand US dollars. The **race **also involves a fair bit of risk – the **buffaloes **run surprisingly fast, and the beautifully adorned, yet rather flimsy **chariots **sometimes do break down or overturn on sharp curves. Overall, as you stand by the track, the sight of heavy dark bodies flying past at the speed of a car is exciting, but don’t try it at home, at least not without practice.

Practicalities

Makepung races take place on weekends roughly from July to November, culminating in Jembrana Cup grand prix. All **race **tracks are in the vicinity of **Negara **– a small town in West Bali. **Negara **stands on the main Denpasar – Gilimanuk road; any bus going to Gilimanuk or further on to Java will drop you there. There are a few simple guesthouses in town. The **races **usually begin around 08:00 AM and last for 3-4 hours. If you want to watch them from the beginning, and maybe see the **buffaloes **being adorned with **traditional **decorations, the only way to get to the track from **Negara **is by motorbike – it’s usually too far to make it in time on foot. Make sure to verify which of the racing locations has been selected for this round the night before: sudden changes aren’t uncommon, and online schedules aren’t very trustworthy.