Elephant racing, though unusual as a sporting event, is held in many parts of the world but mostly in Asia. The earliest known such racing event as a tradition is reported from
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
In the 20th century this became a major event (though it generated protests) in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in 1920, and an organized International Elephant Race in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
from tourism interests in 1982.
Elephant racing, which is a more complex form of racing among animals is now a rage in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
also. A straight and long trunk is an important factor in the race for the elephants to cross the finish line. The races take a longer time than those involving horses but the animals are clearly visible to every spectator.
In Vietnam
The
Buon Don Elephant Races are held as a traditional event in the Central Highlands of the
Buon Don district of Vietnam, which is well known for its elephant trainers. The skills of elephant trainers are used to perpetuate the heritage of holding elephant races every year during the third
lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month.
Variations
In Shona, Middle Eastern, and Eur ...
(generally in March) of the year. The race course, in the forests of the banks of the
Sevepoi River, is a mile long track wide enough to accommodate nine participating elephants. Elephants are entered into the races from many villages. Two mahouts or jockeys ride on each elephant - one to steer it and another to goad it to race fast. A musical instrument made of horns of the elephants is blown first to assemble the elephants at the starting gate, then another sound is blown to signal the elephants to take the starting line and be set for the race, and with the third blow of the horn, the race is signaled. The elephants generally race at a speed of 25 mph with the public cheering for their favourite elephants. The first elephant crossing the winning post is given a wreath as an award, and also fed with bananas and sugar cane. After the event, the elephants celebrate by taking a swim in the river.
[
A major festival is held at ]Wat Phou
Vat Phou (or Wat Phu; lo, ວັດພູ ''temple-mountain'') is a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex in southern Laos. It is at the base of mount Phou Khao, some from the Mekong in Champasak Province. There was a temple on the site as early a ...
, every year in March, when elephant racing is a traditional popular sport event.
In Germany and India
In the year 2000, at the initiative of Ravindra Gujjula, an Indian born Mayor of Altlandsberg
Altlandsberg () is a historic town in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated about east of Berlin.
History
Altlandsberg was first mentioned in a 1230 deed, it was located at the site of a former Slavic ( Spr ...
town, near Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
organized an elephant race at Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.
History
The current municipality was created in 2003 when the former municipalities of Hönow and Münchehofe were united with Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten. Th ...
, which was very successful as more than 40,000 people witnessed the race. 14 circus elephants (equal numbers from Asia and Africa) participated and the race card consisted of six race events. The contention of the sponsors was that the elephants enjoyed the racing event. At the end of the race elephants were fed with fruits and vegetables.
The race turned into a controversial issue, particularly in India, as environmental and religious lobbies objected to this racing. It is a protected species in India, and in Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
it represents the elephant headed God Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...
. Members of the Animal Peace group's protest was supported by leading personalities like Maneka Gandhi
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (also spelled Menaka; ''née'' Anand) (born 26 August 1956) is an Indian politician, animal rights activist, and environmentalist. She is a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament and a member of ...
, the then Minister for Social Affairs in India, Nina Hagen
Catharina "Nina" Hagen (; born 11 March 1955) is a German singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her theatrical vocals and rose to prominence during the punk and new wave movements in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is known as ...
, the German rock singer, and Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...
, the French film actress. In India only two states hold the event.
In Nepal
In Nepal, the race started as an International Elephant Race in December 2005. The Tharu people
The Tharu people are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai in southern Nepal and northern India. They speak Tharu languages. They are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal. In the Indian Terai, they live foremost ...
of Nepal, who are professional tamers of wild elephants, ride the race elephants. A particular feature of this race is that riders of racing elephants are chosen by lottery and not by choice and this makes the riding difficult for the jockeys who train on their favourite particular elephants. The winning elephant is awarded a trophy. The racing track is of in length. Heats or elimination rounds, with six elephants in each heat, are involved before the final race is held. A video film documented by Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was esta ...
has recorded that the elephants move fast on the chosen straight route, which is flanked by spectators. The Chitwan reserve is a venue for such races, and also for elephant polo and pageants, which are also part of this tourist oriented race. Champakali is the name of the race elephant which won the race in successive years. On this occasion, a soccer match between baby elephants is also an attraction.[
]
References
{{Elephants
Elephants
Animal racing
Asian culture
Livestock