Pig Sticking in the Ganga Khadar

[shooter]

btt?

[HSharief]

In the last sequence in the movie Batwara, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna have Amrish Puri cornered in a room and are planning to kill him off like the "suwar" he is by sticking him with their bayonets, while it is "raining", the rain being the bullets they'll be shot with the cops out waiting for them. It was similar to the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ending sequence with a desi touch.

[shooter]

In the beginning of the same movie, there is one of the few pig sticking scenes ever shown in Indian cinema.

[prashantsingh]

Here's some more about Skinners.
I have a friend who lives in the same house which belonged to the Skinners in Gwalior.
The property is now being broken down to make way for an appartment complex. A piece of military history lost for ever.

Born in 1778 . The son of a Scottish subalter and a Rajput princess. Being an Anglo-Indian (mixed-blood) he was refused commission in the East India Company. However he was commissioned in the Maratha army by the Scindias and posted to Mathura.For 8 yrs they fought with the Marathas. Subsequently they were amalgamated with the British forces . In 1803 Skinner's Horse (Irregular) Cavalry was raised.
The Yellow uniform was very different from the French Blue and British Red. Hence they were named the Yellow Boys. Skinners picked up the Yellow (Kesaria) colour from his mother's side (Rajput descent).

Legend has it that Skinners had speared lions from horseback around Delhi and Guna. (The Asiatic lions were spread all the way till Bihar in those days and were not limited to Gir).
The lions were speared the same way, a person would spear a wild boar in the game of "pigsticking".
"Times When Men Were Men."

[Safarigent]

Hi,
I am an avid horseman and own a few horses.
my main focus is on polo but one of my horses is trained for tent pegging.
this is also an ancient sport using a cavalry lance to pick spear targets on the ground at a full fast gallop.
i have always wanted to one day follow the game of pig sticking in practise.
but make do with cardboard targets on the ground.
the addition of the danger and pursuit would be so much better!!!!

[TwoRivers]

Going a bit further O.T., but thanks for the info on Skinner. I have a pistol with "Skinner's Irregular Horse" inscribed on the barrel; now I know who the fellow Skinner was.

[Vikram]

You will find some interesting pictures and history of the sport from India (?) here.

http://www.pigsticking.com/history.htm

Now, there exists a pig sticking club in Spain.If one really wants it, can go there.May be in Argentina too.

http://www.pigsticking.com/


Best-
Vikram

[Sakobav]

Vikram

Nice links the first one has a picture of Indian hunt - note the dog on officers lap aint that Russel terrier - interesting whether this dog or any were used for hunting or flushing them. Doubt it though althouhg another picture does have a dog next to the elephant? Cant guess the breed..wish they allow such hunts again ..

Best

[prashantsingh]

Vikram. Presently the only place I know of, where pig sticking exists is Spain. Even in Spain there is lot of pressure from the Animal Rights organisations to put a ban on this game. I won't be surprised if the game will be banned for ever very soon.

Safarigent.Looks like you are a new member here. Why don't you introduce yourself to all the members in the Intro section.Good to see another horse lover on this forum. I will be putting up something interesting for members like you by mid-May this year . Going to place with a very rich horse breeding culture. Look out for it.

Two Rivers. May I request you to put up the snap of your pistol.Skinners is now a Tank Regt.
Forgot to mention. James had a (not so famous) brother as well. The story goes that he commited suicide for a very personal reason.

[Katana]

Prashant

How about Skinner's Field at Dosco?

Katana

[Safarigent]

prashant,
done the needful.
cheers

p.s. if there are any other horse men out here, we can have a round of tent pegging if you are interested, if you are in delhi.

-- Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:00 am --

prashant,
done the needful.
cheers

p.s. if there are any other horse men out here, we can have a round of tent pegging if you are interested, if you are in delhi.

[TwoRivers]

Not likely to make it to Delhi, so I'll stick to trail riding. Thanks for the invite, though.

[shooter]

james had 2 brothers.

there was a family history of suicide so im not surprised.

[prashantsingh]

if there are any other horse men out here, we can have a round of tent pegging if you are interested, if you are in delhi.

Thanks for the offer. I am not very far, just 260 kms away. Might come over sometime.

Katana,
I have already mention the Skinners fields. Doon School and their estate Sikandar Hall Mussoorie,earlier in this post.

Two Rivers,
The war cry of the yellow boys was "Himmat e marda, madad e khuda". (God helps those who show courage). What a sight it must have been when these men mounted on their chargers,lance in hand, galloped towards the enemy posts shouting at the top of their voices.

ngrewal,
That does look like a fox terrier. A popular breed in the days of shikar in India.

[full_circle]

A British Pathe video news reel film of a Muttra Cup Meeting
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=5211
"THE MUTTRA CUP MEETING - India's Largest Pig-Sticking Contest."
Various shots of the men on elephants travelling across the filed - quite tall grass. Men on horses looking on - they are the 'spears'. Men on elephants going through the water. Follow the men on horses. One elephant slides in mud and trying to get out.
This is the Muttra Cup - hunting with elephants. The aim of the elephants is to drive wild boars and sows in the open so they can be chased and killed.
No actual pig being sticked.


http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/3745
A film of the 1934 Kadir Cup, thought to be made by HH Sir Hari Singh, Maharaja of Kashmir. From the Fraser Collection.