Tempting Fate: Horse Racing in Sumbawa
Maen jaran, or horse-racing in Sumbawa is a past-time that goes on year-round in different parts of the island. What distinguishes this spectator sport from others is the riders are young boys aged five to 12 years. Fathers start familiarizing their sons with Sumbawa born-and-bred horses not long after birth. Winning the race means big prize money and heaps of prestige. But it also means putting their lives on the line: their safety is at risk and their education is neglected. Tempo English contributor Yuli Andari reports from Sumbawa on the lives of these under-age jockeys and the effort of local teachers to provide them with home-schooling.
December 17, 2013
Rain did not fall on the Angin Laut racetrack in Penyaring village, one day in this past October. That was a good sign for fans of Maen Jaran, the traditional horse racing in Sumbawa Island. Soon the race would start. Masrawang, 75, a racehorse owner from Ai Puntuk village, had been preparing since morning. The old man was also known as sanro-the local vernacular for a shaman.
As the sun rose, Masrawang whispered some mantras over the heads of t
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