The sleepy, little village of Kovur is abuzz with activity as scores of country bulls guided by their masters gather to practice for the oxen cart race, which is an annual fixture held during the Sankranti festival.
The bullock cart race is steeped in significance, as it allows breeders and farmers an opportunity to showcase their cattle strength on the harvest festival. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn up at the cart race to root for the bulls, most of which are locally-bred.
Krishna Reddy of Paturu village in SRSP Nellore district says the bulls begin training several months in advance in order to turn in a strong performance in the ‘Rekla race’ which will be held on Monday.
The sporting arena, located close to the Penna, was milling with activity on Sunday as the bulls did a couple of sprints. “I have been rearing the bulls for over two decades now,” says veteran breeder C. Srinivas while giving his pets a horse gram-based health drink before taking them to the nearby ‘Kovur Cheruvu’ for a swim.
The bulls are made to swim at least twice a week to strengthen their muscles, Mr. Bujjaiah tells The Hindu. “They are given a diet comprising horse gram and minor millets besides fresh grass and fodder to keep them in good health,” he says.
The bulls are given only a liquid diet on racing day , with the winner taking home ₹1 lakh.
After the race, the breeders sell the prize-winning bulls to farmers at a premium price.