Er-Enish (mounted wrestling)
An old nomadic wrestling style in which two wrestlers grapple on horseback.
Names among the peoples
- er eniş (Kyrgyz)
- audarıspak (Kazakhs)
- at üstündə güləş (Azerbaijanis)
About
Er enish is wrestling on horseback: two mounted wrestlers enter a circle and each tries to pull the other off his horse. The one who makes any part of the opponent's body touch the ground wins. The Kyrgyz call it er enish or oodarysh, the Kazakhs audaryspak.
Three things decide the outcome: a firm grip, balance in the saddle and horsemanship. The horse takes part in the contest too: it has to tolerate close contact and obey a wrestler whose hands are busy.
Er enish is on the programme of the World Nomad Games; in Kazakhstan audaryspak is in the register of national sports.
History
As K. Amanzhol writes, in the Kazakh audaryspak the rules allowed a rider to pull his opponent only forwards and towards himself, to bar his way and to stop him moving on. Great care went into the choice of horse: strong and nimble horses were specially reared and trained for this contest.
Only grown men of great strength, agility and endurance who handled a horse well took part; such masters were usually put up in the name of a whole aul or clan. The same wrestling is called agdarysh among the Turkmens, ogdarish among the Uzbeks, and oodarysh or er enish among the Kyrgyz.
Rules in brief
A bout starts on the referee's command and is supervised by a mounted referee. The wrestlers are divided into weight categories; their number and limits depend on the rules of the competition.
Kicks and punches, using a whip, holding the face or hair and twisting fingers are forbidden. The referee stops a dangerous action.
In the description K. Ağgün gives of the Kyrgyz oodarysh, the wrestler wears strong boots and leather trousers, ties a cloth belt round his waist and is bare above it. Because the strain will be heavy, the horse is given a double girth and a stronger crupper and breastband. The wrestler may take hold of his opponent's belt, hand or leg, clasp him, brace his knee or foot against the opponent's horse, and pull him towards himself or push him down. Touching the harness and hooking the stirrup are also forbidden.
Federations and competitions
In Kazakhstan's national sports register (audaryspak).
Peoples
Research: Vasif Namazov, Turan Games Concept
Sources
- Qırğız milli oyunları
- Qazax milli oyunları — Orexca
- Er Enish: Qırğızıstanda at üstündə güləş — ilovekg.com
- Er Enish — Vikipediya (ingiliscə)
- Şəkil: Theklan, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons
- К. Аманжол, Казахские национальные конно-спортивные игры (XIX – начало XX вв.) — Türk Halklarının Geleneksel Spor Oyunları, Bişkek, 2015, s. 21–25
