2018 Cow Racing at Phu Noi

In 2013 I went for the first time to the cow racing festival in Phu Noi. This cow racing festival was originally the traditional festival of Khmer people to pay their respect to their ancestors, taken place in late eighteenth and early nineteenth lunar month every year. Traditionally the cow racing festival is organised on a flat rice field about 120 meter wide and has to be muddy. In Phu Noi a racing field is made beside the temple. The farmers choose their best cows for the racing. The cowboys hold a stick with a very sharp point when the race starts.They hit the cows to make them run as fast as they can. The cowboys have to know, how to run the cows at the same speed. On the  days of the cow racing, lots of people living in the area come to attend the festival. All the people also visit the neighbouring food stalls, a small theatre, the tiny lunapark and stay often from the beginning to the end on the festival. Sleeping bags, hammocks and warm stuff are brought in, to keep them warm at night. More and more people are visiting the festival. Not only the people from Sam Roi Yot but also some foreigners who are living here. It is quite an experience to go there late at night. After just a few km bike trip through the completely darkness we reached the festival spot. Although I visited this festival already a few times, I wouldn’t have missed this.