The Madura?s cow race tradition, or known as ?karapan sapi? was once merely a part of the farmers? celebration after harvesting their crops. But now the tradition has exploited and tortured the grass-eating animals just for the pleasure and pride of the owners and the bookers called ?pebotoh?
If at first ?kerapan? only used leash to accelerate the cow?s speed run, nowadays it has been replaced with a rod full of nails. Even before the race was started, the body and the eyes of the cow were covered with balsamic oil, acid, and vinegar so that the cows were heavily in pain and thus would run like mad.
The cows? breath, their fresh blood running from the scars caused by the scratching of the jockeys? rod of, nails, their swaying tails, and their tears, were such obvious evidence that the animals were deeply in agony, throbbing and burning. All were covered by the screams of their owners, bookers, and spectators who were excited to see them run wildly.
The sounds of the drums and the traditional musical instruments ?Sronen? accompanied a pair of cows who had been announced as the winner, and they would be taken around the Soenarto Hadiwidjojo stadium where the race took place. Thousands of spectators cheered and danced to the rhythm of the music. Such a contrast compared to what had been suffered by the cows.
?Joy upon pain?, perhaps that could be the right expression to depict the situation of ?kerapan sapi? in the land of salt Madura.
Nevertheless, sufferings always had an end. The suffering of the winner cows would soon end in the hands of the butchers, when the loser title had been taken by them.
Photo & text by :SAIFUL BAHRI