Posted on 03/29/2020 2:48:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Inside the world of camel wrestling in Turkey
Camel wrestling festivals are held throughout the winter months in western Turkey, a tradition rooted in the nomadic culture of Yoruk tribes, a Turkic ethnic group. In the days when the nomads used camels as the primary means of transportation, male camels would compete for the opportunity to mate with female camels in heat by wrestling nudging each other until one fell to the ground or ran away.
These days, the wrestling matches are held in stadiums, in festivals attended by hundreds of locals. Camel owners spend thousands of dollars to feed the animals, which are kept in barns and transported to matches by truck. The Yoruk tradition is also kept alive in the colorful ensembles the camels wear during these festivals,
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Female camels are the beasts of burden. The male are just too onery.
Figures.
Do the Camels wrestle with their toes showing?
Asking for a friend.
Does the Camel know what’s at stake?
Broken back, being made humble?
From what I could tell it's a big deal. In advent of the arrival of the beasts and their handlers, advertising posters are put up liberally. Not unlike our traveling carnivals of days of yore.
When they arrive, the camels are paraded through the streets, to drum up business. They are costumed like regal kings.
When the day comes, an area about the size of a soccer field is marked out, near the town/village. Men gather at the edge. Women far back. Lots of excitement. Than you see a lot of money changing hands......I suspect betting.
A female [in heat?] is brought out and walked in front of the male fighters. Then two by two, the beasts are set upon themselves.
There is a lot of poking and shoving by the handlers. Grunting and neck twisting by the beasts.I'm quite sure PITA would object. The fight is over when one of the camels is brought to his knees by the other. Or runs away, through the crowd.
You do NOT want to be in the way of a fleeing camel and dozens of native onlookers!!!
It is pretty gruesome with all the commotion....like a gladiator fight or bull fight, I guess. It's a cultural thing. I cannot judge.
That is even more tedious to watch than soccer.
Only in the mud...
I remember being home from college in ‘95 or ‘96 or so over Christmas break, not too long after ESPN expanded to ESPN2. Prime time (8 PM Eastern or so) one night they were showing Camel boxing. They were so desperate for programming they were showing Camel boxing. Of course, that was before they had rights to NFL, all of the bowl games, etc.
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