Chappadaz rider
Daulatabad, Afghanistan
A buzkashi rider pauses during a game. Clutching his whip in this teeth (the whip has a special tab for teeth grip), his hands are free to try to grab the "ball." A home-spun robe and fur hat mark him as an Uzbeki.
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Brian writes:
The champions, chapendadz, were allowed to ware embroidered caps with a ring of fur
John Long writes:
The riders in buskashi are called chapaddaz, which means "chapan wearers." The chapan is the robe that this rider is wearing. In addition to prize money, winners of the buzkashi are also presented expensive silk chapans -- a mark of status comparable to purple togas in rome or Prada today. I would also suggest an alternate translation of "buzkashi": Buz means "goat" (though calf carcases are also used) and "kashi" means to tug or pull. When you see two horsemen riding at full gallop side by side trying to wrest the carcass away from each other it is quite amazing -- each rider has both hands on the carcass -- not on the reins of the horse. Put yourself in that position and think about having a tug of war with one other person and how that thows your balance off if you win. Now think about doing that at 35 MPH on horseback. These guys are absolutely amazing horsemen. And the horses are highly skilled partners. In fact, the best chapandaz, the pros, are (were?) usually supported by a patron, a rich landowner, who could afford to buy the finest horses on which to mount his champions.