00:02Down a dusty racetrack in the Cambodian countryside, farmers drive oxcarts at full speed,
00:09vying for a trophy and around 500 US dollars in prize money.
00:14The money and prestige are only just part of what's at stake.
00:18The Cambodian New Year and rice harvesting season are around the corner,
00:22and races like this one are a part of how locals greeted the spring for centuries.
00:27But in this region of Cambodia, west of the capital Phnom Penh,
00:31the races had all but disappeared until their revival 12 years ago.
00:37For farmers who remember the days before tractors replaced oxen,
00:40it's a real treat to take part, hurtling down this kilometer-long course like back in the day.
00:46This year, 80 competitors have showed up to try and win it all.
00:50I joined the race to help maintain our long tradition left behind by our ancestors
00:55and so that the younger generation knows more about these oxcarts and how they are used in these races.
01:00Meanwhile, for younger people among the hundreds of spectators,
01:03the oxcart races are an eye-opening event that sparks some national pride.
01:09This is my first time watching this oxcart race, so it looks funny for me.
01:13And as it is our Khmer tradition, I have come to give my support to our organizer to preserve it,
01:19and the oxen looks nice too.
01:22And for some, this event is a practical reminder
01:25that as modern farm equipment gets more and more expensive to use,
01:29tradition offers a ready alternative.
01:33I urge the farmers to feed and raise more oxen,
01:36especially at a time when gas prices are so high.
01:39They can use them to plow fields like in the old days and save money.
01:47This year's winner is Pich Udom, a 37-year-old who has traveled from the capital to race.
01:52He says he hopes even more races will take part next year,
01:56so that a seasonal ritual of rural life doesn't just continue, but thrives.
02:01Yuen Duan, John Vantrius and Sani Qi for Tawn Plus.
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