The Bull Fights At Barka, Oman

Bullfighting is a traditional Omani spectacle, passed down through the generations, taking place almost every other Friday in various places around the country.

Bullfighting, Omani-style is a far cry from the Spanish equivalent. There aren’t any matadors and the Omani version is bloodless with little or no injury to the bulls. The battle comes to an end when one of the heavyweights backs down and flees the fight.

These bullfights are often impromptu and not advertised, so finding the exact location can be a challenge if you’re not in the know.

Brahmin bulls used in fighting can weigh up to 1,100kg and are rippling with muscles, so you can imagine the result of being trampled by one.  Bulls are most Brahma’s from India, Pakistan, and Spain, in various color, breeds, and sizes, some of which must have weighed over a ton.

Bulls are being reared on a high carb diet that is heavy in grains, dates, dried fish, milk and a specially cooked mixture of greens, bananas. These fighters are also massaged daily and taken on long runs along the beaches. On fight day they did not get heavy food. If the stomach is full it cannot move that easily. For big bulls the preparation and controlled diet starts from the day before the fight.

Before match starting, half an hour the area was filled with the low rumble of owners talking and bulls bellowing. A crowd began flocking to the fight arena in pick-ups, SUVs, and sedans.

Older, disabled spectators travelled in on chairs teetering in the backs of open pick-up, which pulled ring-side to get a good view of the action. Locals, mostly men, perched on the earthen wall around the ring, clinging bottles of drinking water, soft drinks, and bags of potato chips. Some villagers set up stands and began selling vegetables from their farms on the sidelines, while a few boys and men ventured into the ring and seated themselves there to get a close up of the action.

“It’s exciting for people to sit in the ring to get a close view of the fight. But once the animal gets angry, it’s very difficult to calm him down. They will just fight no matter who comes across.”

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