Diaoyang
01 · Historical Records
Goat grabbing is practiced among Uygur herders in the area of Bachu County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Bachu County lies at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, on the northwestern edge of the Tarim Basin, and belongs to the ancient "Dolang" region; its residents still preserve old customs interweaving fishing, hunting, and nomadism, of which goat grabbing is one. It is usually held after weddings, festivals, and harvest celebrations. Two tribes or two groups each provide riders, who contend on open ground for a goat slaughtered beforehand with its head and hooves removed. Before the start, the riders of both sides line up at one end of the field; at the master of ceremonies' command, the goat is thrown into the field and the riders charge in. Whoever seizes the goat carries it sideways across the saddle, with comrades shielding him on either side while the opposition pursues and blocks. If the holder is surrounded, he must hurl the goat to a comrade, who relays it onward; often the two sides trade dozens of rounds without a winner. That evening the winning side's riders are feasted in the tribe, with prizes mostly cloth, brick tea, and sheep. Goat grabbing is practiced among Uygur herders in the area of Bachu County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Bachu County lies at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, on the northwestern edge of the Tarim Basin, and belongs to the ancient "Dolang" region; its residents still preserve old customs interweaving fishing, hunting, and nomadism, of which goat grabbing is one. It is usually held after weddings, festivals, and harvest celebrations. Two tribes or two groups each provide riders, who contend on open ground for a goat slaughtered beforehand with its head and hooves removed. Before the start, the riders of both sides line up at one end of the field; at the master of ceremonies' command, the goat is thrown into the field and the riders charge in. Whoever seizes the goat carries it sideways across the saddle, with comrades shielding him on either side while the opposition pursues and blocks. If the holder is surrounded, he must hurl the goat to a comrade, who relays it onward; often the two sides trade dozens of rounds without a winner. That evening the winning side's riders are feasted in the tribe, with prizes mostly cloth, brick tea, and sheep. The referee is an elder recognized by both sides, responsible for deciding in whose hands the goat lies and whether it has crossed the designated boundary; in disputes the judgment rests on the position of the goat and on whether a rider has been pulled from his horse. The horses used are mostly local breeds — tough and tireless rather than tall — and before a race riders must comb the mane and tail and check the girth strap to prevent the tack from working loose in the crush. Spectators ride around the outside of the field following the teams, dust rising in clouds, shouts and hoofbeats mingling in one din. The outcome is decided only at the moment the goat is delivered to the designated spot; there are no set rounds or time limit, so a contest often runs from before noon until sunset. When the winning riders return to the tribe, the women wait at the doors, tying cloth or silk kerchiefs around their horses' necks as a mark of honor.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
A goat-grabbing contest is generally held between two tribes or two groups; the winner is the side that "grabs" the goat and delivers it safely to the designated spot. Bachu County is part of the ancient Dolang region and still preserves some traditional customs reflecting the character of its fishing-and-hunting civilization; goat grabbing is one of the traditional sports most widely practiced in the county.
Team contest and relay passing
The core tactics: the rider who seizes the goat tucks it on the saddle while teammates screen him and relay it onward when surrounded.
Preparing the goat and riders
The goat is slaughtered and its head and hooves removed for gripping; the teams line up and charge in together at the signal.
The Bachu Dolan setting
Bachu formed part of the ancient Dolan region, where hunting-and-fishing customs survive and goat-snatching is a popular local sport.
Blocking and deciding the winner
With no fixed boundary, the team that carries the goat to the appointed place wins; the sport is a fierce mounted contest of strength.
Goat-snatching at weddings and harvests
The game is held at weddings, festivals and after harvests, with the victors feasted by their community that evening.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Mounted goat grabbing is a traditional competitive event shared by many of Xinjiang's ethnic groups — the Uygur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tajik among them — and it is widely distributed across Xinjiang.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
As a mounted contest of strength and grappling, goat grabbing is rugged and fierce in character, and it can cultivate in its participants a spirit of courage and the qualities of fortitude, composure, and resourcefulness. Owing to the high cost of keeping horses for individual households and other factors, folk goat-grabbing activity is currently declining and awaits protection.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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