Bull-throttle! Daring Indonesian farmers celebrate end of rice harvest with spectacular cow racing festival
Even the most ardent adrenaline junkie would be forgiven for breaking into a sweat at the sight of these stunning photos of bull racing in Indonesia.
Balancing on just a rudimentary wooden frame and clinging to the animals' tails, competitors careen across muddy paddy fields in an astonishing festival to celebrate the end of the rice harvesting season.
With their hands busy holding on tight, jockeys encourage their steeds to go faster by biting their tails.
Hold on tight: A competitor clings to his two cows as he takes part in racing Pacu Jawi
Making a splash: The festival of cow racing celebrates the end of rice harvesting season by the Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Champing at the bit: Up to 700 cows can take part in the annual celebration of the end of the rice harvest season
Once a year, Indonesian bull breeders and buyers come together and trade their bulls in order to race.
The dirty and dangerous looking Sumatran sport of Pacu Jawi is a tradition by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra which involves racing 700 bulls around a field by their tails.
While the race has become part of Indonesian culture, the main purpose of the Pacu Jawi is for sellers to exhibit the strength of their bulls to potential buyers. And competitors head off across the paddy fields attached to pairs of animals.
Bull throttle: A competing farmer balances on one of the wooden frames attached to two cows while trying to control the animals in full flight by their tails
A good race performance can lead to generating a higher price for those farmers that plan to sell breeding stock.
After each run the bulls are cleaned and herded into a display pen for the buyers to make their choice.
The extraordinary event translates to 'push-ahead cow' in the local language of the Minangkabau tribe.
Thousands of spectators come from far afield to watch the exploits of the daring farmers.
In full flight: Jockeys try to control their steeds as they race across the rice paddies by biting their tails
Spectacular: Thousands of people gather on the edges of the muddy paddy fields to watch farmers compete in the cow racing
