I came across some photos from my years in Afghanistan and felt such a pang of nostalgia for my winter and early spring Friday afternoons watching buzkashi – Afghanistan’s national equestrian sport. Apologies for the poor quality images, which do not do the sport justice. I have others, transparencies, which I hope one day to convert.
And they’re off
It’s a sport which makes polo look like a game for children. Instead of a ball, it is played with a headless carcass of a goat – the name means, literally, grabbing the goat – or a calf. The goat is killed the day before the match, its head cut off and the guts removed. The torso is soaked in water for twenty four hours to toughen up the hide. By the end of the match the meat must be beautifully tender, which can’t always be said for goat meat.
It’s…
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Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Thanks so much for sharing, Sue.
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A pleasure, Mary… that’s a wonderful post 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed it. I just said in a comment to Paul that, as well as watching an exciting game, I was witnessing the power of collective ancestral memories.
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I think that’s what came through and why these things exert such a powerful effect on us. Something we can all relate to at some deeply buried level.
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