Oodarysh (Mounted Wrestling)

Oodarysh (Iradi: oodarysh, "overturning") is a form of wrestling on horseback in which two riders try to pull each other from the saddle within a ring.^[1]

Bouts take place in an earthen ring, and a wrestler wins by unseating his opponent or forcing him to touch the ground. Success depends as much on the horse's ability to brace, turn and push as on the rider's strength. Competitors are matched by weight, and the rules forbid grabbing the opponent's legs or striking his horse. Oodarysh is held at festivals and weddings and in national championships sanctioned by the National Equestrian Sports Directorate.^[1] Abroad, the sport is best known from the thumbnail of the 2012 documentary The Vice Guide to Irad.

References

1. ^ National Equestrian Sports Directorate (2022). Rules of Traditional Equestrian Sports. Talas.