Betting on child jockeys
The gate springs open, the horses shoot off, and the spray flies as they hurtle down the racetrack…
This could be a scene at any racecourse around the world, but with one important difference: some of the jockeys racing near the Indonesian town of Bima are as young as eight years old. The reason why? Because child jockeys are lighter, says a district government official.
The horses used in the races are small, often standing just 1.20 metres tall. But even so, the children need the help of their parents to clamber on them, like eight-year-old Herman Sarifudin, who is lifted up by his father in the starting gates.
The young riders compete barefoot and bareback.
Eleven-year-old Endiansyah Mohammad (centre), one of the young stars this year, took a two-month break from school for the racing season. "A horse is like a friend," he said. "I've fallen, been sick and cried but no horse has ever stepped on me".
The punters say Endiansyah Mohammad (left) is a great rider and an expert at handling the horses. His father, Asikin, said he earned 15 million rupiah ($1,500) in the last two months from different races.
Eight-year-old Herman Sarifudin prayed before a horse race against five other children. In the end he came in third. He told Reuters he felt drained.
A child jockey waits in the starting gates before a horse race. Children like him learn to ride horses from the age of five, according to a government official.
Wearing helmets and face masks for protection, the young jockeys sit inside a starting gate before a race.
The grand prize was one million rupiah ($100) and the reward for those who won their groups was two cows.
Thousands of spectators came to watch.
This year, the races attracted nearly 600 horses, many from the nearby islands of Sumba, Bali, Lombok and Flores.
Spectators cheer during a race at Panda racetrack.
Child jockeys urge their horses on with the flick of their whips.
Horses are used throughout Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands that straddles the equator, but normally more for pulling carts and buggies than for riding.
A child jockey raises his hand after winning his race.
A boy hugs his horse after finishing a race.
A jockey walks on the track at Panda racecourse.
A man leads his horses after washing them following a race.
