Adu Domba (literally “pitting sheep”) is hugely popular here
in West Java. I learned this shortly after coming here and have been
mildly interested in going to one, not because I care about seeing rams butt horns but just
because ram fighting is a “very Indonesian” thing to do.
I had mentioned to Ferry about going to a ram fight
awhile
back. Neither of us realized that ram fighting is a weekly occurrence on
land owned
by ITB every Sunday. So after taking Ibu Aisah and her cucus
(grandchildren) to the zoo Sunday afternoon, Ferry and I decided to go
back so I could see this "once-in-a-lifetime event" (his words). And of
course he was right, as I will never again attend another ram fighting
event in Indonesia.
prizes - trophy and cow
mushy muddy
Fortunately (or not, depending on how you look at
it), it was just winding down as we arrived. Tall gold colored trophies
and other prizes were already being awarded and rams were being loaded
onto trucks as we slipped and
slid our way down the hill toward the arena (it had rained earlier and
everything was extremely muddy). Btw, the show does not stop for a
little rain, or even a lot.
male bonding during Abu Domba
rams come in all colors
Thankfully, ram fighting is not like cock fighting where one animal ends up killing another. It is my understanding that butting their horns is what a ram intuitively does – whether it's against a tree, a building or another ram. Also, these rams are prized (and hopefully money making) possessions so their owners are not interested in allowing them to get seriously injured. Owning and fighting rams is all about creating a champion specimen that can win its owner big prizes.
look! a bule!
attempting to cross a busy street with a ram
are you checkin' out these horns?
young boy loading truck after a long day
musicians load gamelan
During the contest, traditional Sundanese
gamelan music is played and helps work the rams and spectators into a state of excitement. Gamelan
includes bronze or iron instruments supported by carved wooden racks
and other instruments (also used in traditional puppet shows). You'll get the idea with the short youtube clip above which was actually made at the same place the rest of these photos were taken.
Supposedly, each ram is allowed a maximum of 20 “head butts”
(my term). Each opponent scores points on such things as color, horns, wool type,
ability to attack or dodge, etc. If one
of the rams runs from its opponent or falls down he instantly loses. After scores are tallied, a winner is named.
headed home after a hard day's work
The big pay off? The owner of the winning ram goes home with all kinds of
prizes – including a huge trophy, a large monetary sum and other large items like a cow, big screen TV,
refrigerator and motorcycle. It's safe to say that ram fighting is big sport, big money and big entertainment here in Indonesia.
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