Kudu dung-spitting (Bokdrol Spoeg in Afrikaans) is a sport practiced by the Afrikaner community in South Africa. In the competition small, hard pellets of dung from the kudu antelope, are spat, with the farthest distance reached being the winner.
Kudu dung-spitting is popular enough to have an annual world championship competition, with the formal sport beginning in 1994. Contests are held at some community bazaars, game festivals or tourism shows in the bushveld, Natal and Eastern Cape.[1][2][3] Unlike many similar sports, the distance is measured from the marker to the place the dung pellet comes to rest, rather than where it initially hit the ground.[4]
The world record in the sport is a distance of 15.56 metres (51.0 ft) set as of 2006[update] by Shaun van Rensburg[5] of Addo.[6] The male UK record is held by Dave Marshall at 11.7m in 2022 with his daughter Harri holding the womens record at 8.3m again in 2022. It is said that hunters began using the pellets in spitting competitions to "retaliate" at their prey, as the kudu is a notoriously difficult animal to hunt, and infamous for leaving a trail of dung pellets while managing to elude the hunter.[7]
"Similar" sports
editRecords are also kept for cherry pit spitting, watermelon seed spitting, prune pit spitting, brown cricket spitting and tobacco juice spitting.[7][8] In 2015, a sheep dung-spitting competition was introduced to Northern Ireland's Lady of The Lake Festival in County Fermanagh.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Koedoedrol Verspoeg Kompetisie". wildsfees.co.za. Kirkwood Wildsfees. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ "Bekvol vir dié kompetisie". Beeld. 25 May 2004. Retrieved 30 July 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ de Wet, Christopher (19 April 2007). "Fees gaan wilder as die wildtuin wees". Beeld. Retrieved 30 July 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Skinner, Rod. "Spoeg sport pret". ladysmithgazette.co.za. Ladysmith Gazette. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ The Herald, South Africa, August 1, 2006, quoted in Private Eye #1170
- ^ Coetzer, Toast (October 2007). "A mouthful of dung". Go!.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ a b Rosen, Michael J., with Ben Kassoy (2009). No dribbling the squid octopush, shin kicking, elephant polo, and other oddball sports. Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-0740790508. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Spitting as a Sport". HotelClub Travel Blog 2015. HotelClub. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ Gerken, James. "Dung Spitting Competition Is A Crappy Way To Prove Yourself". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
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