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Buffalo Races Kick Off Rice Season in Central Thailand
CHONBURI – Farmers in central Thailand celebrated the start of the rice season by racing their buffaloes, whose duty in the past was to plow the fields for rice season.
The annual Wooden Plow Buffalo Race in Chonburi, about 60 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, is held to express gratitude to the buffaloes for working with the farmers all year long in Thailand.
“It’s a long-inherited tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation,” said Supanee Saengue, one of the race organizers.
A Thai farmer controlling a pair of buffaloes competes in the flooded field during the annual Wooden Plow Buffalo Race in Chonburi Province, southeast of Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, July 13, 2019. – Photo AP
Around 60 buffaloes were registered for the race, with the farmers coaxing and goading the animals to the finish line.
“You have to whip them as much as you could to make them go fast, otherwise you could lose.
The more you whip them, the faster they go,” said buffalo race competitor Suchai Saengdee.
Another competitor, Apichart Kongtrupjareon, said his two buffaloes had to be trained from the ground up, starting by slowly walking them abreast 10 times a day until their rhythm matches.
“They’re just like humans — if they don’t exercise, their muscles get sore,” Apichart said.
The Associated Press
