The last goose riders, 02/2015

VICE Deutschland


"Goose riding" is a 400 years old carnival tradition coming originally from Spain. Now there are only two clubs left in Germany who still use a real goose (since 1806 a dead one) and no puppet, based In Wattenscheid, a small Ruhr Area town between Bochum and Essen. The goose rider has to snap off the head of the goose. Sometimes the "ride" can take up to one hour. The winner becomes the carnival king for one year. Not everyone accepts such a martial rite. Every year a little demonstration of animal rights activists takes place in front of the "hippodrom". A colorful mix of carnival, dubious traditions, drunken crowd, angry farmers, angry activists, mistrust, march music and tirades of hate from both sides.
      
                                                                           
                                                                    
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