Feroun, the king bull

Feroun – King Bull
Four ceiling fans whir in a large shed at a sprawling farm in Hambar, Sohar.
Beneath it, its thick tail flapping away scores of flies, a massive and ferocious critter looks into the distance beyond his enclosure, ruminating about the past and perhaps the evolving future.
This brooding, mean-looking, nearly 600kgs raging bull, which could easily stand at a height of over six feet (hump tip from the ground), was probably mulling over his past victories and pondering over the various strategies he would have to employ in his next fight.s
This is Feroun – the king of bulls in Oman, and some say, in the whole of Gulf and the Middle East. This mammoth five-year old dad-of-all-bulls is a champion of champions. He has won all 27 times he has locked horns with his opponents, some of whom he made mincemeat, gored or even killed. Not intentionally, but in the heat of an intense fight, Feroun who has no idea his own supreme strength can unwittingly down his opponent for good.
Today, this undisputed champion bull is worth over 90,000 rials (the current owner bought him for nearly 45,000 rials) and if he is going to win his next fight, he will be worth more.
But Abdullah Ali Shizawi, who had bought Feroun (meaning Pharaoh) for a whopping 45,000 rials at a bull market in Fujairah, is not selling him, even if someone is going to triple the amount. “He is not for sale – he is for fighting (sic)!” he tells Black & White at his Hambar bull farm, hosts to nearly 20 other bulls, even another mammoth, but not as fierce as Feroun, bull.
The B&W team was checking out some bulls in Seeb when one of the Seeb-based bull owners made a passing reference about a ‘king’ bull in Sohar, who apparently was jealously guarded and religiously looked after by his owner. Learning this, the B&W team swung to Sohar the next morning in pursuit of this mammoth bull.
After hours of search, we finally tracked him down in Hambar at the sprawling farm of Albdullah Shizawi, a veteran bull fighter owner. Peering over the tall doors of one of the farm sheds there, we saw a gargantuan black creature, its face away from us, staring somewhere stolidly. Scores of small flies swarmed the mammoth bull as he angrily shook them away with his tail and his head. As we stared at him, he suddenly swung his head back and then his steely gaze froze us in our path. Even mean bulls would think twice to lock their horns with this gigantic bull. So, would mere mortals like us dare? We treaded softly at the inside edge of the shed and waited for Abdullah to get us formally introduced to him.
“Hello Feroun, meet the team from Black & White,” said one of the friends of Abdullah and the creature stared back at us, daring us to go near him. We hesitated because even Abdullah showed reluctance to casually walk up to him and pat him. Everyone sneaked behind, to his posterior end and delicately patted him as he diligently cud chewed his deep and somber thoughts away, facing away from us.
Feroun is a naturalised Omani bull. But, his Spanish-Pakistani origin is perhaps reflected in his fierceness. If the setting was different, he would have been easily goring down a matador in some Spanish coliseum. He is as mean as he looks and he also has a diet that suits a champion. The daily feed for this prizefighting bull includes an ultra rich diet of dried fish, hay, honey, cereals and grains costing Abdullah around 450 rials a month.

Raising bulls
What was his passion for bulls, we probed, but Abdullah was non committal with his replies. He loves bulls and he has been with bulls as longs as he could remember. “Raising bulls has been part of our tradition since the early 1980’s. Today, it is our fulltime profession,” Abdullah said, his hand sweeping across his large farm, where his helpers run around preparing food for the bulls, maintaining them, washing, cleaning…
Although he was doing reasonably well with his other bulls, the entry of Feroun into his farm was a major turning point. “After that I have not looked back, Feroun is a bull owner’s delight – he has won 27 times! He is a champion,” Abdullah tells B&W, his eyes lighting up and his tight lips spreading into a smile. Even mealy-mouthed Abdullah becomes garrulous when he speaks of his prizefighting (*) bull.
“I have 20 other bulls and I spend over 2000 rials on their food alone, so it is not an easy task maintaining them. But, this is my passion, my culture, my tradition, my life…”
According to Abdullah, the bulls of Sohar are by far the best in Oman. Although the lineage of some could be Spanish-Pakistani, they have grown up in Oman and passionate bull fight owners are bringing in a brand new breed of prizefighting bulls, who can lock horns with any bull in the country and even in the region.

The Machine Gun
Back in Seeb, we met up with Rashash, another winner of many a fight. Rashash is owned by Marhoon Khamis Al Hadidi, who has a small bull farm where half a dozen bulls rub shoulders with cocks, hens, dogs and the like.
There was a little pyre (to ward off the flies) lit close to the bulls and in that smoke swathed ambience, we tried to strike a chord with the bulls and their owner. All of these bulls had a mean look about them, but they were friendlier than Feroun and his gang of rowdy bulls.
But the nearly 300kgs Dhofari-bred Rashash, like his name (it means machine gun) is also a mean fighting machine. He has already notched up couple of wins and Marhoon is hoping that his bull’s winning streak continues.
“Rashash is now my ticket to fame. He is much more powerful than he looks and he can withstand lot of pressure,” Marhoon said, caressing his large bull on the neck. Rashash was much easier to approach than Feroun. But, he did not seem to like us that much.

Bull fighting a tradition
Marhoon began his life with bulls when he was just 10. It is a family tradition, and his father, grand father and forefathers have been rearing bulls and pitting them against other bulls.
“In the earlier days we used bulls to draw water from wells. Now we use them for leisure. Bull fighting is part of the Omani tradition and culture and my ancestors indulged in it too. I am in to bull fighting for the last 20 years and I believe this trend would continue in our family forever.
“I buy a calf and grow it up, groom and train it for fighting. It is a long process and we do not do it for economical gains. A calf is pitted against a fighter bull and trained to fight, defend and attack. We do not gamble with bulls. It is pure leisure. Once a bull wins, he can be sold at a very high price. It is a matter of great pride for the owner of a winner bull.
Bull fighting is a tradition; it is a passion by itself. Every alternate week we have one fight.”

It’s a bull’s life
Marhoon’s winning bull also needs proper maintenance. “For the fighter bulls, every aspect from food to the accessories that he wears is taken care of. We feed him a rich and heavy diet, which is a mix of hay, grass, grains, ghee, eggs, dried fish, honey and dates.
He gains his energy and strength from this diet.” But, it is not just a staple diet that makes him fighting fit. He is given an oil massage, and also a good scrub plus a hot saltwater sponge to prevent muscle tear during major fights.
“That will ensure tightness and strength on his muscles. A bull needs to withstand equal, if not more, strength of another bull. The winner stands strong, while the defeated ones mostly run away.”

Diet fit for a winner
“Two days before the fight, we start feeding the bull, fresh green hay with water. The heavy diet is discontinued. This will help the bull feel light in the arena. Then we take the bull to the beach, to the sea and give him a good run, exercise and even a swim. The bull needs to be energised and physically fit. We cannot and we will not compromise on that aspect. So only a serious enthusiast can remain in this field. Though it is for leisure, it requires serious involvement. After the fight, the bull will be tired for a day or two, and then he will be back to normal. In another 14 days, he is ready for his next fight.”

Expensive affair
The question of how these bull owners make money is shrouded in mystery. Because rearing and maintaining a fighting bull is an expensive affair. A normal calf alone costs approximately 300 to 400rials. A prize winning bull can be sold off at 4000rials. “It is a big market and most of us are in to by family tradition. There are many Omani families who rear bulls and are in to bull fighting for years, especially from the regions of Seeb, Barka, Bu Ali, Suwaiq, Sohar etc. My Rashash is the Seeb region champion,” Marhoon noted.
Besides the bull fights, there also annual bull festivals where the owners get a chance to display their prizefighters, exchange notes, and generally buy and sell bulls too.

Wusha, Al Harf, Guarantee
Marhoon takes equal pride in his other three bulls, which he is readying for fights. “These four year olds are of good stock. Guarantee is a pure Omani breed. I have a pure bred Australian bull too. I also have other birds, pigeons, cocks and hens at my farm.”

Bull whisperer
Communication with the bulls is not an easy task. They don’t easily listen to orders, nor are they easily swayed by fear tactics. “We have a mike through which we communicate to our bulls on field. But they do not get attached or understand words. We prompt them through various sound patterns, including loud Arabic commands.”
Most of the bulls respond to these guttural commands.

Hornless bulls are useless
Horns are sharpened and they serve as weapons for the fighting bulls. Once they lose it, the bulls become useless, and then they are sent to the abattoir. “We take great care to maintain their horns, decorate and also sharpen them, Marhoon says. But sharpen these horns at your own risk. For sometimes, the owners and the helpers get hurt too. Marhoon remembers how he was accidently gored by one of the bulls and displays a mean scar on the side of his abdomen. Although the bulls start young, they have good staying power. “The bulls can fight for many years and have a lifespan of 30 to 40 years. The bull starts fighting when they are just four, but continue for a long period of time.”


By Adarsh madhavan, Priya Arunkumar, Najib Al balushi