Do you get accustomed to watching car or motorcycle races? Once upon a time, witness the attraction Sapi Gerumbungan or Bull Races in Buleleng District. The quadruped is nicely decorated and then invited to run fast like a race. Indeed, this activity is fun, entertaining as well as a place to get to know and preserve culture. This cultural attraction is the prima donna, so that it has been carried out from generation to generation. Apart from local people, tourists are very interested in watching this activity. Not infrequently, tourists also try to become jockey of the bull races.

In the implementation, a pair of selected bulls will attract the jockeys in a seat having been decorated with various Balinese fixtures. All the bulls involved must have been well trained and guided by people who are experts and professionals. Bull race is a heritage of our ancestors whose existence is still well maintained until these days. By and large, every Umanis Galungan, this attraction always becomes an interesting spectacle for the community and is usually held in the public square of Bebetin Village, Sawan, Buleleng.

Acting Division Head of Marketing for the Buleleng Tourism Office, Elisabeth Maria Parinussa, stated that Buleleng as an agricultural area has a typical art of farmers which has become a leading tourist attraction, namely bull race. Moreover, this tourist attraction prepared by the Buleleng District Government emphasizes the beauty of the decorations used and the skills of farmers in controlling their bulls. “Bull race is a wealth of local cultural treasures of Buleleng,” she said.

Bull race in Buleleng places more emphasis on the beauty, the uniformity of the footsteps and the upright and strong body shape of the bulls. In addition to maintaining tradition, there is belief that rice and agricultural products will be abundant if using cattle when plowing the rice fields. This is still well embedded in the minds for most farmers who up to now still maintain the tradition of plowing their rice fields with a pair of cattle.

The gerumbungan looks like a large-sized wooden bell suspended on the neck of a bull. A pair of trained cattle are connected to their necks with a wooden tool called an uga or yoke. The schedule and venue of this event implementation in Buleleng includes the bull race parade (June) in a series of the Buyan Festival and Twin Lakes Festival events in the Buyan Lake area, Pancasari village, the Bull Race (September/October) in a series of the implementation of the Sail Indonesia event in the Kaliasem Village Square, and Optional Package (on request) located at Menyali, Bebetin, Panji and Kaliasem Village. (BTN/015)